Home Affairs accused of turning away gay couples
The Citizen 1 April 2016
"Staff were calling one another from counter to counter whispering
about us, how we are two women getting married."
Two married same-sex couples have accused several Home Affairs
branches in Gauteng of refusing to provide service to them based on
their sexual orientation, according to MambaOnline.com.
Vaivi and Sape Swartz told the website their attempts to register
their marriage were thwarted when they were turned away from four
separate branches in Tshwane, and they described the treatment they
received from security personnel and Home Affairs supervisors as
"negative, self-entitled, apathetic, mocking and homophobic".
One security guard, the site reported, asked the couple, who stuck to
tradition and undertook lobola before tying the knot in December,
2016, why women would want to marry each other when there are so many
men available, and further refused them access into the building until
they firmly demanded entry.
Once inside, the women were told after queuing for hours that the
branch did not perform same-sex unions and were given other reasons,
such as the appointments not being made because of unavailable petty
cash to purchase diaries, according to the website.
Sape Maodi and Antoinett "Vaivi" Swartz on 20 October 2015 in
Pretoria. They have been together for eight years and had their
traditional wedding during

December. Picture: Christine Vermooten
"The saddest part was having our relationship mocked by the staff and
security guard," said Vaivi, added that their experiences were not
merely incompetence on the part of staff but were fuelled by homophobia.
"Staff were calling one another from counter to counter whispering
about us, how we are two women getting married. The staff were so
proud to turn us away based on irrelevant reasons and the supervisor
proudly supported them," she said.
Another couple, Dr Zelia Sofianos and her then fiancé, Megan Brook,
had to struggle before making an appointment to marry at Home Affairs
offices in Ekurhuleni and were told by the Edenvale and Germiston
branches that the solemnising of same-sex marriages was not done
there, site reported.
Eventually, the marriage Vaivi and Sape Swartz was made official in
January, while Zelia and Megan were able to marry earlier this month,
according to the website.
Regarding the accusation of homophobia against the department, Home
Affairs spokesperson Mayihlome Tshwete denied the issue was homophobia
in the department, saying: "You can`t take two cases and say the
department has this particular problem [of homophobia]."
He said it was important for civilians who encountered such problem to
approach the Head Office with official complaints. V.1605

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- Individuals are advised to seek professional guidance.

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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.

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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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