Block All Their Numbers: Mmamoloko Kubayi Clamps Down On Illegal SIM Cards Used By Foreigners

Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Mmamoloko Kubayi, who leads the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Migration, has called for the immediate deactivation of all improperly registered SIM cards across South Africa, identifying untraceable telecommunications lines as a major enabler of organized crime, extortion, and illegal cross-border networks.

Addressing public safety and border security matters, Kubayi stressed that systemic failures in enforcing the Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication-Related Information Act (RICA) have created severe vulnerabilities within national security frameworks. The Minister revealed that law enforcement data links improperly registered or fraudulently acquired SIM cards to a vast majority of extortion syndicates, illegal trade networks, money laundering schemes, and kidnap-for-ransom operations operating inside the country’s borders.

Kubayi emphasized that strict compliance audits must be conducted across all mobile network operators and authorized distributors to purge invalid, unverified, or pre-activated mobile lines from cellular networks. She pointed out that criminal syndicates frequently exploit administrative loopholes to secure bulk SIM cards without providing valid identification or proof of residence, frustrating police investigations and preventing law enforcement agencies from performing lawful communications interception.

The IMC chairperson’s call for immediate deactivation coincides with broader executive interventions aimed at overhauling migration controls, combating transnational crime, and closing regulatory gaps within the informal economy. Kubayi warned telecommunications providers and retail vendors that failing to enforce mandatory RICA verification protocols undermines national security, cautioning that non-compliant entities will face strict administrative penalties, hefty fines, and criminal accountability.

Reaffirming government’s stance, Kubayi declared that securing national telecommunications infrastructure is directly linked to restoring law, order, and public safety across South African communities. She reiterated that the executive branch will continue working alongside telecommunications regulators, law enforcement, and joint security command structures to enforce strict identification standards, strip criminals of anonymized communication channels, and ensure full compliance across the sector.

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