Pietermaritzburg - A specialist paediatric doctor who says she has
helped reduce the mortality rate of infants at Grey`s Hospital over
three years, is leaving for Holland after her application for a
critical care permit was granted three days before her work permit
expired.


Dr Afke Robroch, one of only four such specialists in KwaZulu-Natal,
left her family and life in Holland to work in South Africa in 2013,
thinking she would spend the remainder of her life here.


However, Robroch is now having to leave the country and head
home.


"I waited two years to be registered with the Health Professions
Council of SA [HPCSA] before coming to South Africa," she said.
"It was quite a struggle, but I was persistent and adamant that I
wanted to work as a doctor in this country."


Robroch said she quit her job, packed up her life and moved to
Pietermaritzburg in 2013, commencing work as a paediatric specialist
in critical care.


While working with critically ill children, she was also involved in
outreach programmes, travelling to either Lady¬smith or Newcastle once
a month to help build the skills of other doctors.


"When I moved here, I thought this is where I would stay forever," she
said.


"I love my work. I am passionate about it and my skill is extremely
scarce."


In 2014, Robroch applied for a critical care permit at the Department
of Home Affairs, hoping to continue her work at Grey`s.


However, she discovered later, when her application was rejected, that
she had received the wrong paperwork.


This happened a few more times until she thought she had all the
correct papers in September 2015.


"I finally sent everything in.

However, my application was rejected
because I was missing one document that I had in my possession, but
was told I did not need it.


"I asked if I could send that in and appealed the case, but they said
there was an 11-month backlog and the appeal would only be looked at
in October 2016."


Robroch said she then tried to extend her work permit and asked
Edendale hospital for an endorsement letter in January, to send with
her application.


"I received the letter in April, and by then it was too late.


Her work permit expired on July 1 and the new permit was processed on
June 28, after she had booked tickets back to Holland and accepted a
job at a hospital there.


"I struggled for two years. E-mails were sent weekly to the
department.


"It was not my wish to go back to Holland; it was a forced
decision."


She said that only three critical care paediatric specialists would be
left in the province when she left.


"I have been at Grey`s every day. I love my job and knowing I have to
leave is incredibly sad and frustrating," she said.


With 40 critically ill children admitted to the hospital each month,
Robroch said she had helped bring down the paediatric death rate at
Grey`s.


Health Department spokesperson Sam Mkhwanazi said: "Employer-employee
contractual relations are confidential and treated as such, unless
required by law to deviate from this."


The Home Affairs Department did not respond to questions.
Robroch is currently in the country on a tourist permit and leaves for
Holland on August 9. V.1669

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.

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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.
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-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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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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