More funds needed for modernised Home Affairs
25 Apr 2016 – IT web
Home Affairs minister Malusi Gigaba says his department is on track to
replace 38 million ID books with smart ID cards. (Photo: DOC)
To change the perception that it is a slow and moribund department,
Home Affairs is evolving with the times to be able execute on its mandate.
This was the word from department minister Malusi Gigaba, who said the
department is reimagining Home Affairs as a modern, digital, secure
custodian of national identity.
Delivering his budget speech last week, Gigaba told Parliament in
order to roll-out modern and secure systems, his department will
require an increase to its budget by the end of the year.
"A modern, secure Home Affairs will require a larger budget, and by
the end of this year, we will present a business case to Cabinet for
approval," he said.
In February, finance minister Pravin Gordhan increased the DHA's
budget from last year's R6.4 billion to R7.4 billion.
Although the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) minister did reveal how
much the department would require, he noted: "In this difficult
economic climate, departments must demonstrate their value proposition
and the savings they can realise."
Gigaba added: "A modern, secure Home Affairs will enable government
and business to deliver services better, cheaper and faster, and
drastically reduce fraud."
Money talks
Gigaba told Parliament the DHA is working tirelessly to conceive of a
different package of services for the future, so when the children
born this year turn 16 years old, they will have no reason to even
visit a Home Affairs office to apply for their first ID card.
The DHA has identified other initiatives that will take place this
year as part of modernisation efforts, which will include spending R10
million to digitise six million paper-based birth records.
To improve efficiency and turnaround times, these records will be made
electronically accessible at a click of a button, said Gigaba.
The department will also automate birth, marriage and death processes,
like it has done with the smart ID cards and passports; work with the
State

Information Technology Agency (SITA) and other service providers
to improve system uptime; as well as explore options to refresh or
upgrade its mobile units to serve remote communities, explained the
minister.
Work in progress
According to Gigaba, live capture offices have increased from 140 to
178, and all of them now accept payment by cash, credit and debit cards.
The department has also begun its online smart identification
documents (IDs) and passports application process, with the roll-out
of its eHomeAffairs portal in partnership with the banking sector.
Gigaba told Parliament the response from South Africans with regard to
the online application system for smart IDs and passports has been
positive, with more than 8 000 citizens having used the department's
online portal.
Earlier this month, the DHA finally went live with its much
anticipated eHomeAffairs portal. Plans to roll-out an online
application system began last year, as part of the department's
strategy to move services from paper to digital and eliminate lengthy
queues at its offices.
For a seamless application process, the department partnered with
Absa, Nedbank, Standard Bank and First National Bank to allow citizens
to apply and pay for their smart IDs or passports online and collect
their documents at the banks.
The DHA's service is available to citizens between the ages of 30 and
35 years old, and currently operational at 11 bank branches in Gauteng
and one in the Western Cape.
According to the department, it will look to roll-out smart ID and
passport online application services to other parts of the country
over the duration of the year.
In 2013, the DHA started the process of replacing more than 30 million
green bar-coded IDs with smart ID cards that have better security
features and are extremely difficult to forge.
Gigaba noted the department has issued 4.1 million smart ID cards to
date. The DHA aims to issue a further 2.2 million cards this year, he
told Parliament. V.1619

One of the highlighted topics: Critical Skills Visa.

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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.

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.

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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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