Home Affairs has revealed that some of the cases it reported as child
trafficking, actually involved parental abduction and illegal
adoption.


Earlier this year, the Department of Home Affairs made headlines with
claims that 15 child trafficking cases had been detected at OR Tambo
Airport, Johannesburg.


Then Minister of Home Affairs, Malusi Gigaba, announced the news of
the 15 cases the day before he became Minister of Finance and used
this “success” to justify no change to their policy.


Tourism Update asked Nicola Mawson to find out whether these cases
were indeed child trafficking.


South Africa made it law in October 2015 for parents moving children
in and out of SA to carry with them an unabridged birth
certificate.


In addition, minors travelling with only one parent required the
other’s permission to move the child out of or into the
country.


The Department of Home Affairs said when introducing the requirement,
that this was ostensibly to stop children being moved illegally â€" or
trafficked.


While child trafficking is indeed a scourge, just how many children
are affected each year is disputed. There have been claims that as
many as 30 000 children were trafficked in SA every year â€" but Africa
Check’s research found that the numbers were not backed up by
research.


Apparently, the DHA also can’t back up claims.


In an undated article, SA Government Online reports that the
department has dealt with 15 cases of child trafficking at OR Tambo
International Airport. Quoting then Minister Malusi Gigaba, the
official government publication says three cases involved the
attempted trafficking of eight children, two of whom were South
African.


However, Modiri Matthews, Chief Director of Inspectorate at the
department said in a telephone call that not all the cases were child
trafficking â€" as some involved parental abduction and illegal
adoption.


In response to e-mailed questions, Tebogo Phokanoko, Deputy Director
at the Central Law Enforcement

unit, failed to provide numbers of how
many children were spirited out of SA illegally since the law came
into effect, noting ports of entry could provide further
numbers.

Phokanoko was specifically asked how many
instances of child trafficking there were, and did not provide one
example.


However, Phokanoko cites examples of a Chinese minor being abducted by
the child’s father to China, noting that the matter is currently in
court.


There have also been cases of illicit adoption, in which a Democratic
Republic of Congo child was illegally adopted. That matter is also in
court, and a process is under way to determine exactly who its parents
are and establish legitimacy, says Phokanoko.


In some cases, the department had to liaise with Department of Social
Development, the South African Police Service and National Prosecuting
Authority, says Phokanoko.


Phokanoko adds most of the cases the department comes across are of
minors being smuggled into South Africa by land, mostly from Zimbabwe,
Malawi and Mozambique.


The African Centre for Migration & Society noted in May 2014, after
the DHA had announced that the new regulations would come into effect,
that there was, at the time, “no systematic research available that
provides comprehensive insight into the prevalence or patterns of
trafficking into or out of South Africa or the Southern African
region”.


These claims were backed up by research by Africa Check, which found
that the estimates of how many children were trafficked in SA could
not be backed up. The website also quotes Liesl Muller and Patricia
Erasmus, both attorneys at Lawyers for Human Rights, as noting that
DHA’s efforts won’t stop trafficking, because traffickers don’t use
legal ports of entry.


It seems, therefore, that the DHA’s initial stated intention to cut
down on trafficking was a mere smokescreen. V.1948

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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