The Nigerian husband of a prominent politician has been arrested in Bloemfontein after he allegedly housed about 28 undocumented foreign nationals at his guesthouse, while a death certificate of a South African woman was found during the raid.
The arrest, confirmed by Free State Premier MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae on Tuesday, has triggered an extensive police and immigration investigation into the circumstances surrounding the occupants of the property and the official documents that were allegedly found in the suspect’s possession.
According to Letsoha-Mathae, police discovered between 28 and 29 people inside the guesthouse, where they had allegedly been staying for about seven days without leaving the premises.
“It’s a guesthouse where we had about 28 to 29 people that were arrested because they were hiding in this place,” she said.
“When we enquire for how long have they been here, we’re told that it’s about seven days that they’ve been hiding in this place. They’re not going out. They’re not doing anything there. But there is someone who’s coming in bringing some foodstuffs for them.”
The discovery comes as protests against illegal immigration continue in several parts of South Africa, placing renewed attention on immigration enforcement and the movement of undocumented foreign nationals.
Letsoha-Mathae said the case was especially concerning because the guesthouse is owned by a senior politician in the Mangaung district.
She confirmed that the politician’s husband had been taken into custody but had not yet been formally charged.
“The husband is now… not yet being charged. He’ll be transported to the nearest police station. We’ll know later today what charges he’ll be facing,” she said.
The premier cautioned against speculation, saying investigators were still establishing whether the occupants had lawfully booked accommodation or had been deliberately concealed at the property.
“They’re still busy with their investigations, looking at the guestbook, whether people just booked genuinely… Those are the areas where I cannot comment but leave them to the police to finish their investigation,” she said.
Authorities have not yet confirmed the identities or nationalities of every person arrested.
However, Letsoha-Mathae said initial findings indicate that many are undocumented foreign nationals from countries including Ethiopia and Nigeria.
“What we have observed or what the police have found is that most of them don’t have documents. They’re illegal immigrants from different countries,” she said.
Immigration officials are assisting police by verifying the legal status of those taken into custody.
The investigation deepened after officers allegedly found a Nigerian passport together with the death certificate and South African identity document of a deceased woman.
“This person is having a Nigerian passport but is in possession of a death certificate of a South African woman and an ID of a South African woman,” Letsoha-Mathae said.
She said authorities are also investigating how a visa linked to the deceased woman was allegedly obtained after her death, describing the circumstances as highly suspicious and requiring further investigation.
Police have not yet announced formal charges against the arrested man, and investigations into the guesthouse, the undocumented foreign nationals and the recovered documents remain ongoing.
