THE Department of Home Affairs has filed an extraordinary and
unprecedented application before the Constitutional Court.


This is part of its continuing battle to resist reopening the refugee
reception office in Port Elizabeth, as it was ordered to do by the
Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) in March.


The department wants the Constitutional Court to reconsider an order
it made on August 5 dismissing the department`s application for leave
to appeal against the SCA judgment.


Its application was dismissed after the department failed to meet the
June 26 deadline set by the Constitutional Court to file its
submissions.


The department filed its submissions on July 29 and asked the court to
condone the late filing, but the court dismissed both its condonation
application, as well as its application for leave to appeal.


In the application for reconsideration, the court was called upon to
decide whether to hear the matter it had already judged, thus
deviating from the legal doctrine of res judicata, which bars
continued litigation of a matter that has been decided.


It was also called upon to decide whether failure to observe its rules
should be tolerated.


The department said its failure to file its submissions to the court
on time was due to the "miscommunication" between the state attorney`s
offices in Johannesburg and Pretoria.


Home Affairs director-general Mkuseli Apleni said the directions to
file submissions were never

passed to him or anyone within his
department in time to respond.


Mr Apleni said it was profoundly unjust for protracted litigation
between the parties on matters of grave national importance to be
determined on the conduct of one of the parties` legal
representatives.


The matter has its genesis in 2011, when the Somali Association of SA
challenged Mr Apleni`s decision of October 2011 to close the Port
Elizabeth refugee reception office.


Two High Court decisions set aside Mr Apleni`s decision and in March
this year, the SCA also dismissed the department`s appeal. This
prompted the department to approach the Constitutional Court to apply
for leave to appeal.


In his affidavit before the court filed last month, Mr Apleni said the
circumstances of this case were exceptional and warranted the
reconsideration of this court`s order in the interests of
justice.


However, the Somali Association of SA (Eastern Cape) "strenuously"
opposed the application for the reconsideration and setting aside of
the August 5 order.


David Cote, an attorney employed by Lawyers for Human Rights and who
represents the association, said granting the department`s application
undermined the association`s entitlement to finality in this
litigation and the effective vindication of its rights.
The court has not issued any directions in this matter. V.1307

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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