Passports held hostage as SA consular officer vanishes – Ugandans miss marathon, demand answers
KAMPALA – A consular officer at the South African High Commission in Kampala has locked dozens of Ugandan passports inside her office and disappeared, leaving applicants stranded and forcing some to miss the Two Oceans Marathon in South Africa despite having paid for tickets and accommodation.
The officer, identified as Modjadji Mahlangu, last issued a visa on 25 March 2026 – yet Ugandans continue to apply daily, paying non-refundable visa fees. Her office remained locked yesterday and today, according to travel entrepreneur Amos Wekesa, who first exposed the situation on social media. Staff at the High Commission reportedly told desperate applicants that they did not know where she was.
“Sounds like a joke!” Wekesa wrote, tagging South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs (@HomeAffairsSA) and Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (@mofaug).
By early this morning, following a public outcry that reached “the highest office in South Africa,” Mahlangu returned from South Africa and reported to work at 3:00 am to begin processing the backlog, Wekesa confirmed.
Beyond the visa desk: A billion-dollar imbalance
The incident has reignited a much broader debate about the unequal economic relationship between Uganda and South Africa – one that, critics say, costs Uganda nearly $1 billion annually in profit outflows while offering little reciprocity.
According to data compiled by Pastor Martin Ssempa using AI analysis of public financial records, more than 78 South African companies operate in Uganda, dominating telecommunications, banking, insurance, retail, and energy.
Top South African firms in Uganda and their declared 2025 profits:
Company Declared Profit (2025)
MTN Uganda Shs 678.8 billion (~$183 million)
Stanbic Uganda Holdings Shs 591 billion (~$159 million)
Absa Bank Uganda Major banking player
MultiChoice Uganda (DStv/GOtv) Pay-TV monopoly
Sanlam Insurance Leading insurer
Old Mutual Uganda Financial services
Woolworths Premium retail
Eskom Uganda Hydropower management
Nile Breweries (SABMiller/AB InBev subsidiary)
Protea Hotels Hospitality
The combined annual “extraction” from all South African firms in Uganda is estimated at nearly $1 billion.
Trade that flows one way
Trade figures for 2024 reveal a stark imbalance:
· Uganda’s imports from South Africa: $566.71 million (gold, iron, vehicles)
· Uganda’s exports to South Africa: Just $48 million (coffee, live plants, aircraft parts)
Uganda earns less than 5% of what South Africa earns from Uganda.
“Do you guys get the common sense?” Wekesa asked. “Their business people wake up in the morning and decide they are heading to Uganda for business and get a visa from the airport on arrival. They on the other hand block Ugandan business people from accessing opportunities in South Africa, claiming Ugandans won’t leave their country.”
Tax, CSR and the dollar drain
Multinationals in Uganda, including South African firms, pay effective tax rates roughly 20 percentage points lower than large domestic companies – a gap enabled by tax treaties and profit-shifting strategies.
Corporate social responsibility spending is minimal. MTN Uganda contributed Shs 5.1 billion to its foundation in 2025. Against declared profits of Shs 678.8 billion, that represents just 0.75% of net income.
“Why does a wealthy company like MTN give less than 1% back to CSR on their self-declared income?” Ssempa questioned.
Perhaps most consequential for ordinary Ugandans is the currency effect. These multinationals convert their local shilling earnings into US dollars before repatriating profits to South Africa. This consistent, large-scale demand for dollars depreciates the Ugandan shilling, making dollars more expensive and raising the cost of all imported goods.
Leaders’ ‘green and red passports’
Wekesa pointed to a structural political problem: Uganda’s leaders – both in government and opposition – hold diplomatic (“green and red”) passports that grant them easy travel. They do not experience the visa obstacles faced by ordinary citizens.
“They care less and don’t know the above economics,” he wrote.
He also noted that Uganda recently borrowed $450 million from the World Bank – money that will largely flow back to South African-owned banks, telcos, insurers, and contractors operating in Uganda. Ugandans will repay the loan.
Diplomatic response and calls for review
Following the social media storm, Hon. Okello Oryem, Amb. Adonia Ayebare, and Ambassador Ssentongo (Chief of Protocol) have been tagged for immediate attention. Her Excellency Lulu Xingwana, South Africa’s High Commissioner to Uganda, has also been contacted.
General Muhoozi Kainerugaba and H.E. President Yoweri Museveni are said to be diplomatically engaging on visa-free arrangements between the two countries.
But critics argue that visa reciprocity is only part of the problem.
“Isn’t it time to assess and review our relationship terms with these companies?” Ssempa asked. “It’s time we talk how we do business for our benefit.”
Wekesa added: “Business interests for countries and individuals are fought for. You don’t sit back and think the world wishes you well – you will be silly to think so. The above thought should apply to all other embassies.”
Resolution? Not yet
While Mahlangu has returned and begun processing applications, the underlying grievances remain unresolved. The Two Oceans Marathon may have been saved for some, but for how many other Ugandans will a locked office, an absent official, and a non-refundable visa fee be the difference between opportunity and exclusion?
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