Audit findings on border technology in Africa

What this page covers

This page lists adverse findings by audit offices, forensic investigators and parliaments on border technology and linked identity systems in Africa. Each finding is attributed and dated, with any official response. The records confirmed for this update cover South Africa's ABIS contract ^1,23.

DHA told Parliament in June 2020 that ABIS offers iris recognition and would enable e-gates at airports ¹. Findings on other countries will be added when they are confirmed in an official record.

Auditor-General findings (2020)

The record of a Home Affairs committee meeting on 2 June 2020 shows that the Auditor-General of South Africa found the ABIS contract was awarded irregularly ¹. It found a limitation of scope in the accreditation process. SITA could not provide the required documents ¹. It found a second limitation in the proposal and award phase, linked to the security clearance of Ernst & Young ¹.

In August 2020 the committee heard that the R409 million contract was flagged as possible irregular expenditure after the Auditor-General found the bid's master file was missing. The file was later reconstructed ².

DHA said it believed correct procedures were followed and that the missing documents would show this ¹.

Forensic findings (2021)

DHA appointed the forensic firm Nexia SAB&T on 3 March 2020. Its findings were presented to the committee on 25 May 2021 ³. Over R283.43 million had been paid up to 26 February 2020 ³.

• The entire contract is irregular, so all payments should be reported as irregular expenditure ³
• Procurement steps were not followed. SITA asked DHA for a business case more than a year after the request for help, and bid amendments were not published in the media first used for the bid ³
• Confidential DHA information, including the project budget, was given to EOH Mthombo before the bid closed ³
• Records were missing or reconstructed ³
• DHA overpaid EOH Mthombo R5.71 million in March 2018 through a capture error, refunded on 16 September 2019 ³

Responses and follow-up

Minister Aaron Motsoaledi told the committee in May 2021 that corrupt officials still in government would be held accountable ³. Nexia identified six DHA officials, and charges were to be served by 28 May 2021 ³. Three SITA employees named in the matter were still employed there, and SITA management was considering action against them ³. The committee record says EOH asked to be consulted during any criminal investigation and was acting against employees it had identified ³.

A criminal case, CAS 145/3/2021, was opened at Pretoria Central and handed to the DPCI on 15 April 2021 ³. DHA asked National Treasury on 12 April 2021 to condone the irregular expenditure. That request was still under consideration at the time ³.

In August 2020 the committee heard that 183 SITA staff were suspended in a clean-up process ².

Delivery after the findings

The contract was ceded to IDEMIA with Treasury approval on 11 February 2021 ³. Business Day, reporter Linda Ensor, reported on 9 May 2023 that IDEMIA missed at least five extended deadlines from November 2021 and that DHA returned to HANIS as its primary database ⁴. The department levied penalties and withheld payment. Business Day reported that IDEMIA wrote a letter in April 2023 accepting full responsibility for the failure of its system and that it disputed the penalty amount ⁴.

Business Day reported that the Auditor-General found the tender irregular and that EOH appeared to have been favoured, as it was selected without meeting the bid criteria ⁴.

Sources differ on the value. The 2021 committee record gives R409.89 million ³. Business Day gave R477m for the EOH Mthombo contract in 2023 ⁴.