Like a rain storm that threatens but never actually arrives. That's
what judicial action against recalcitrant officials of the home
affairs department amounts to


Like a rain storm that threatens but never actually arrives. That`s
what judicial action against recalcitrant officials of the home
affairs department amounts to. And I make the comparison with more
than usual feeling: our tiny farming town has not had municipal
running water for more than four months. We need rain
desperately.


The legal story behind this outburst concerns Kennedy Tshiyombo, a
refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo, who has been living in
SA for many years. Like too many others, he has close experience of
the home affairs department`s institutional culture — its punitive
inefficiency and callous disregard for the rights of the people at its
mercy.


Last November the judge presiding over Tshiyombo`s latest attempt to
gain refugee status, Ashley Binns-Ward, criticised the department`s
persistent failure to follow the rules of court or comply with court
orders.


He spoke about the "systematic dysfunctionality" of the department,
which had resulted in prejudice to the administration of justice. It
was a matter for serious concern that the law was being subverted by
the very officials employed to administer it.
He spoke of the "delinquency" of the department and recalled that many
previous judgments had warned that the virtually "institutionalised
disregard for the rules and practices of the court" by that department
could not be allowed to become the norm.


In his November judgment he ordered that Tshiyombo be given asylum,
contrary to the refugee appeal board`s finding. But certain aspects of
the department`s outrageous handling of the matter were held over
until December for argument on why he should not hold the relevant
officials personally responsible for the unnecessary costs caused. He
also wanted argument on why the department`s consistent flouting of
the law should not be referred to the public protector`s office for
investigation. Those issues

were argued on December 10 and a week
later Binns-Ward delivered a decision that might disappoint human
rights activists: the court once again came very close to action, but
drew back at the last moment.


Read his decision, his remarks about the "complete indifference and
incompetence" seen in this case, and you feel certain he will order
the officials involved in the disregard of the law personally to pay
the costs that their arrogance added to the case. And equally certain
that he will refer the "dysfunctionality" of the department to the
public protector for investigation.


Yet he pulls back on the grounds that the department is hiring staff
to increase its capacity, warning that this is the last chance.


After decades of writing about the department of home affairs and its
incompetence and worse, I have no doubt that it will fail to heed this
warning, as it has so many before.


So I`m left wondering why the courts are so hesitant to call out
people responsible for such blatant abuses. Why so reluctant to show
they mean business when the courts say they are guardians of the
constitution and the bill of rights?


Over the months of this terrible drought we have repeatedly seen the
sky darken, the thunder roll, the lightning zigzag across the sky.


All seems in place for the rain to fall. Then the wind comes
up and blows everything away.


The frustration and let-down we experience each time that happens must
be rather like the frustration of human rights lawyers working with
clients at the mercy of home affairs. They hope the courts will
finally deliver on their threats to act against recalcitrant
officials, or refer the whole mess to the public protector. Judgments
roll off the bench, full of sound and fury, and these lawyers and
their clients imagine that at last justice will rain down. No luck.


The wind comes up. The threat passes. The drought continues. V.1551

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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