Home Affairs looking to make travelling easier for tourists - Minister
2016-03-01 - News24
Parliament – The Home Affairs department is considering the use of
family advocates to make it easier for single parents to travel in and
out of the country with children, Minister Malusi Gigaba said on Tuesday.
The minister and his team were briefing Parliament`s portfolio
committee on home affairs on the progress of recommendations by the
inter-ministerial committee on the unintended consequences of the
immigration regulations.
Gigaba said one of the concerns raised with them was that if one
partner had disappeared or was being uncooperative; parents would not
be able to travel.
"The department cannot say in that regard we waive the regulations,
because they must apply to everyone," he said.
He said parents had been advised to seek a high court interdict to
allow children of single parents to travel.
He said they had a number of cases of parents whose children left the
country without consent, leading to parents taking action against the
department.
Gigaba said they were exploring the possibility of using family
advocates, instead of the high court.
"To provide us with that order that would enable us to allow parents
to travel with their children. But they are still considering the matter."
He said this solution contained a few risks.
"After all, a family advocate is not a court and they do not

have the
power of the court. We were just trying in this instance to assist
single parents who were complaining about the travel."
Over 4 400 minors were refused permission to enter or leave the
country during the festive season.
2 753 were South African citizens, and 1 652 were foreigners.
School tours were also under the spotlight, with the department
explaining the measures in place to make it easier for groups of
children to travel.
The minister also took the committee through the approval of the
10-year multiple entry visas to frequent business and academic
travellers from Africa.
During the next three-month immediate phase, which followed the
Cabinet decision to amend the strict visa regulations for travel in
and out of SA, the decision was made to grant frequent business and
academic travellers multiple entry visitor`s visa for a period
exceeding three months and up to three years.
Biometric capturing capacity at ports of entry were also a priority,
the minister said.
The department of home affairs started training officials to capture
biometric data at South Africa`s international airports in November,
as part of the enhanced Movement Control System (eMCS) biometric pilot
programme.
Gigaba insisted that safety was at the forefront of all decisions made
by the department. V.1583

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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