Sibongile* has become unemployed and her accounts have been
deactivated. "My life is on hold," she says. Sibongile, who came to
Cape Town from Zimbabwe in 2009, has been unable to get a special
permit from the Department of Home Affairs which would allow her to
work and bank.


The Zimbabwe Special Dispensation Permit (ZSP) was implemented by Home
Affairs in 2009 (it was called the Dispensation of Zimbabweans Project
then). Its aim was to help Zimbabweans legalise their stay in South
Africa. It was renewed in 2014 and it expires on 31 December
2017.


But there have been complaints of bureaucratic hurdles making it
difficult to get a ZSP. It`s difficult to know how many people are in
the same position as Sibongile. Refugee rights organisation Passop
says it has ten such cases on its database. But there are many
more.


Tendai Bhiza of Passop says she desperately wants to know what
happened to clients` applications. "Without proper documents they face
the possibility of getting arrested or losing businesses. Some of
these people have already lost their jobs," Bhiza said.


One of those people is Sibongile. She now has to get financial support
from her cousin and by doing piece jobs. Some employers pay her very
little, taking advantage of the fact that she does

not have a permit
to allow her to work legally in the country.


Bhiza says Passop sent emails to the Home Affairs official responsible
for the ZSP but did not get feedback. The organisation has also
contacted the company to which the state has outsourced part of the
process, Visa & Permit Facilitation Centre (VFS), but did not get any
assistance.


The delays seem to occur because of the complicated three-way
communication needed between applicants, VFS and Home Affairs.
For example, GroundUp found out from Home Affairs official Gerson Muti
that Sibongile`s permit had been printed on 26 August 2015, yet
Sibongile says VFS told her that her permit had been rejected.


Muti also told GroundUp that 4,126 were ready but had not been
collected by applicants. Some had already been returned by VFS to Home
Affairs when applicants went to collect their permits from VFS.


When GroundUp asked VFS for comment, its media spokesperson said, "I
am sure we can solve the issue before it gets to the press." When we
explained that the issue is already in the media, he promised to send
his email address to this reporter`s mobile phone. It had not arrived
as of Friday afternoon. V.1680

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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