No longer Department of `horror affairs`
11 April 2016 – Iol.com
Pretoria - Long queues, hours of waiting and the endless filling in of
forms at the Department of Home Affairs will soon be a thing of the
past, with the introduction of live capturing, the smart card and
other aspects of the modernisation of the much-maligned department.
The new and improved technology-driven eHome Affairs (electronic Home
Affairs) will take a segment of the population out of the offices and
allow them access to an online platform where they can make
applications and pay for them.
"We are offering efficient, easy to apply for and secure service for
our people," director-general Mkhuseli Apleni told the Pretoria News.
The department was forced to move with the times and fall in with the
tech-savvy trends of the world.
Corruption was rife and the identities of people stolen and constantly
under threat. Home Affairs offices across the country were associated
with long queues and endless hours spent waiting for services.
And when the application processes had been completed people waited
for months for their documents.
"There was an era where Home Affairs was known as horror affairs,"
Apleni said.
Instead of denial, the government accepted there were problems and
decided to turn things around. In 2008 a team of consultants were
brought in to steer the department back to its core mandate.
Apleni said the department was key in providing the security
architecture of the country; and to ensure that socio-economic
benefits and the economy ran smoothly.
"You have to come to us to open a bank account, to buy a car, to start
a business, among others, and so we had the responsibility to make it
easier for people to go about these things," he said.
The first step was the introduction of a machine readable passport:
"No longer would officials compare a picture to a face to determine
ownership," he said. And although the new passport also came at an
additional cost, it became available at least five months sooner.
As plans to modernise Home Affairs were rolled out, the live capturing
system was put in place, and it eliminated certain aspects of the
application process.
"No more do people have to bring

pictures with them nor are they
required to dip fingers in ink. Instead, their pictures will be taken
in a photo booth and their fingerprints collected electronically."
These biometric details, name and ID numbers are then sent to the
government printing works where they are also stored for future use.
"You see, with e-government, these details will also be used by other
departments," said Apleni. Because the smart card was fitted with a
micro-chip it had the capacity to carry more details of the holder, he
said.
"Why must people carry multiple cards when they can have information
on the status of their driver`s licence, gun licence, social grant
card, etc, on one card."
Traffic police and other law enforcement agencies would have equipment
into which they would slot the smart card and retrieve the relevant
information on the spot.
Home Affairs systems had to be revamped because they were the backbone
of the country, taking care of citizens from the cradle to the grave
and beyond, Apleni said.
Home Affairs was also the contact point for immigrants from the moment
they entered the country until they left.
Apelni spoke after Minister Malusi Gigaba and President Jacob Zuma
launched a partnership between the government and four major banks to
allow people to apply for their smart cards and passports at the banks.
People aged 30 to 35 can make the application at Standard Bank, Absa,
Nedbank and FNB in a process the minister described as a first of its
kind in the world and which would combat identity fraud.
Apleni said the system would complement efforts to get people out of
the Home Affairs application halls to create space.
"The introduction of online applications and the bank arrangement will
leave very few people coming to our offices, leaving staff to work
faster."
Home Affairs was the backbone of the country and everyone had to have
contact with it every now and again, Apleni said.
The contact had to be as painless and efficient as possible, and that
was the vision of the department`s modernisation process. V.1614

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
Click here for full article

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
Click here for full article

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
Click here for full article

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
Click here for full article

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
Click here for full article

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
Click here for full article

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
Click here for full article

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
Click here for full article

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
Click here for full article

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
Click here for full article