Minister denies changes planned in policy, after Pretoria discussed
law to prevent Jews from joining IDF
South Africa is not planning to ban dual citizenship, a senior
official told Jewish organizations Wednesday, after the country`s
government was said to be considering a policy meant to stop the
country`s Jews from joining the Israeli army.


Dual citizenship is protected by the Citizenship Act, and the
government has no plans to make changes to the policy, Home Affairs
Minister Malusi Gigaba said, according to a Thursday statement by the
South African Jewish Board of Deputies.


The SAJBD and the South African Zionist Federation had accused senior
ANC official Obed Bapela of anti-Semitism and unfairly singling out
the country`s Jewish population.


The government does not tolerate anti-Semitism or other forms of
racism, Gigaba told the SAJBD and SAZF leadership.


The meeting was convened in response to comments made by Bapela last
month, in which he said the country would push ahead with plans for a
dual citizenship ban.


Bapela had said that "model" of dual citizenship may not have "a place
in the world," according to the South African daily The Sunday
Times.


"The law is to be enacted

simply to target one minority group, and
this is unjust. Furthermore, [Bapela`s] calls to target Jewish
business and his questioning of Jewish South African`s loyalty to this
country is classic anti-Semitism," read a September statement by the
two Jewish groups.


Obed Bapela (R), a deputy minister in South African President Jacob
Zuma`s office, who threatened to summon students who visited Israel to
an investigation. (YouTube)


In July, Bapela called for an investigation of politically active
students who had visited Israel under the auspices of the South Africa
Israel Forum, since the visit brought the African National Congress
into "disrepute," he said.


The government in Pretoria has been among the most hostile to Israel
in recent years. South Africa`s minister of higher education Blade
Nzimande, a member of the Communist Party, has openly campaigned for a
boycott of Israeli universities and other institutions, and was denied
entry into the country for a working visit to Palestinian Authority
areas in April.


Jews account for an estimated 0.2 percent of South Africa`s
population. It is not known how many serve in the IDF. V.1285

One of the highlighted topics: Critical Skills Visa.

- Key Insight: Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast track to working in South Afr...
- This matter relates to critical skills visa and its broader implications.
- Individuals are advised to seek professional guidance.

Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast trac V.6139
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One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, became a victim of identity theft in 2012 when fraudulent transactions occurred, using her personal details.

-The Pretoria High Court found that the department of home affairs had violated constitutional rights without due process.
-Only half of Lawyers for Human Rights` test group has been unblocked, while 385 000 identities remain blocked nationwide.
-LHR appeals extension, urges affected people to seek help now.

Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) are intensifying pressure on the department of home affairs over the national ID-blocking crisis, accusing the state of acting too slowly to unblock qualifying individuals despite a landmark court ruling.

In January last year, the Pretoria High Court found that the department`s practice of blocking IDs without due process was unlawful and unconstitutional. One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, a Swati citizen and South African permanent resident since 1998, fell victim to identity theft in 2012 when fraudsters used her personal details.

 V.6133
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6128
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6129
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A Washington state mother and her 6-year-old son have been released after spending more than three weeks in US immigration detention due to a brief trip to Canada and a small paperwork mistake, her attorney told CNN on Saturday.

Sarah Shaw, a New Zealand citizen who has lived legally in the US since she arrived in 2021, was detained at the Blaine, Washington, Customs and Border Protection checkpoint when returning home after dropping her two oldest children off at the Vancouver airport for a flight to visit their grandparents in New Zealand. Shaw, 33, chose the flight out of Vancouver because it was direct and she didn`t want her children to have to navigate a layover alone, her attorney Minda Thorward, told CNN.

 V.6130
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On 22 July 2025, the Gauteng High Court dismissed Sitrusrand Boerdery`s review of the Department of Employment and Labour`s refusal to issue a Working Conditions and Salary Benchmarking Certificate, an essential precondition for obtaining corporate visas under the Immigration Act.

Acting Judge Kekana AJ held that the Department`s decision was lawful, rational and procedurally fair. This judgment illustrates how businesses can - and must - structure their corporate visa applications to meet statutory requirements, and how legal practitioners should prepare robust review challenges when administrative authorities decline to recommend foreign-work permits.

 V.6131
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The United States could forfeit an estimated 9.4 billion dollars in visitor spending over the next three years following the introduction of a new 250 dollars `visa integrity fee,` according to industry groups, who warn the policy risks undermining tourism and costing thousands of jobs.
The United States’ decision to introduce a 250 dollars `visa integrity fee` on international visitors has triggered sharp criticism from the global tourism industry, with officials warning that the measure could deter millions of travellers and cost the U.S. economy billions.
The 250dollar `visa integrity fee,` part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed on July 4, 2025, will take effect later this year. According to immigration law firm Envoy Global, it applies to all nonimmigrant visa holders which include students, tourists, temporary workers, and business visitors particularly from African countries. V.6132
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6127
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1. Right to Legal Representation•You have the right to consult with a legal representative.•Contact an immigration practitioner, legal aid clinic, or attorney urgently.•Do not sign any documents without understanding them fully. 2. Section 34 of the Immigration Act•You must be brought to court with 48 hours to confirm arrest but you can remain locked up very long as courts figure out what to do with you •If you`re found to be illegally in South Africa, you may be detained for up to 30 days (extendable by a magistrate) pending deportation.•BUT this cannot happen arbitrarily. You must be informed of your rights, and Home Affairs must follow due process.- becomes a nightmare , you could lose your job , business , place to stay V.6121
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Driving for Bolt, Uber, Mr D, or Checkers Sixty60?If you`re undocumented, you`re risking more than just your income.The Risks if You`re Not Legal: - Vehicle impoundment - Heavy fines - Arrest & deportation - Permanent bans from working in SA V.6122
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