A 43‑year‑old Zimbabwean man was caught with 582 passports and more than R147 000 in cash. Pictures Credits: Captain Nonyane-Mpe (Supplied)
By Duncan Mnisi
Mpumalanga – In what police describe as a major blow to an alleged passport-fraud network, a 43-year-old Zimbabwean national was arrested in Mpumalanga for allegedly trafficking hundreds of passports along with a substantial amount of cash.
On Monday, a joint police team — including the Middelburg Flying Squad, the Nkangala District Anti-Hijacking Team, and Waterval Boven SAPS — intercepted a white Chevrolet Utility bakkie with Gauteng registration plates.
During the stop-and-search operation, conducted at around 13:00, officers discovered a hidden compartment containing 582 passports, some with cash concealed inside. Police also seized about R20 000 found in a black plastic bag, bringing the total cash recovered to approximately R147,300.
The passports belong to nationals from Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique. Several had banknotes tucked between the pages, which police say points to a suspected “passport-for-cash” scheme, where foreign nationals pay to have their passports illegally stamped.
“Investigations suggest the driver was probably going to meet someone the next day to have the passports stamped. Police are of the view that the recovered cash was meant for payment,” said Captain Mpho Nonyane-Mpe from the SAPS Provincial Head Office in Mpumalanga.
The suspect, identified as Edward Chitaizvi, has been charged with contraventions of the Immigration Act, fraud, and money laundering. The bakkie was seized as part of the ongoing investigation.
Acting provincial commissioner Major General Zeph Mkhwanazi praised the swift police work.
“We are following up this matter and will not leave any stone unturned. At this stage, the possibility of more arrests cannot be ruled out. We will ensure that those who are involved are brought to book,” he said.
The case is the latest in a series of passport-fraud crackdowns across South Africa. Earlier in 2025, investigators — including the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks) — dismantled a Durban-based syndicate issuing fraudulent passports to undocumented foreign nationals, sometimes using the identities of unsuspecting South Africans.
Chitaizvi remains in custody pending verification of his residential address. He is expected to appear in the Belfast Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 15 December 2025.
