On 30 June, the ANC’s National Executive Committee will meet to review
ANC policy and makes recommendations on amendments or new policies to
the National Conference.


As highlighted in an analysis by the Daily Maverick, one of the key
policies will be the the party’s “Peace and Stability” discussion
document . The majority of this 31-page discussion document seeks to
group together national security, managing identity, and the economy
under a single Home Affairs umbrella.


This new restructuring would include Home Affairs taking steps towards
becoming completely self-sustainable â€" raising its own funds through
an increase in fees currently charged for IDs, passports, birth and
death certificates as well as a new nation-wide form of identity
“vetting”.


These will be collected under a formal umbrella known as the National
Social Security Fund (NSSF).


This vetting will see you charged for some day-to-day transactions
requiring proof of identity, which are then verified biometrically
through Home Affairs to confirm legitimacy. According to the
discussion document, the charges themselves will be minor, but when
the millions of the hits to the system are added up, could “grow to be
very large”.


As highlighted by the Daily Maverick, the types of transactions you
can expect to pay range anywhere between a R1 and R4 a charge and can
be attached to anything from bank transactions to airline tickets,
school registrations, hospital check-ins and social grant
collections.


The go-ahead
While the NSSF had remained purely in the realm of the discussion
document, it took a major step towards reality during President Zuma’s
parliamentary questions and answers session on 22 June.


During the session, President Zuma directly tackled the proposed
National Social Security Fund, revealing more about how government
plans to tackle the subject.


The proposed National Social Security Fund (NSSF) will operate as a
national fund responsible for administering mandatory contributions
from all workers for the provision of retirement, death and disability
benefits, Zuma said.


“The fund will serve as a single platform through which all workers
can make regular social security contributions while they are still
working to avoid falling into poverty in the event of retirement or
disability.”


“All income earners will be required to participate, and this will
foster social solidarity and the sharing of risks among all workers.
Furthermore, the Fund will provide an income to the dependants of all
contributors who happen to die before retirement.”


Zuma said that the NSSF would bring with it a number of

benefits,
“guaranteed to protect contributors and foster social
solidarity”.


This will include a contribution subsidy to support low-income earners
and reduce the burden on their disposable income.


“At present, the existing retirement benefit schemes are based on
defined contributions rather than defined benefits,” said Zuma.


“This means that the contributors have no guarantee of how much their
benefits will be, and they face the risk of losing their savings in
the event of poor market performance.”


“In contrast, the Fund will carry the risk of poor investment
performance on behalf of individual contributors, and thus provide
assurance of a guaranteed benefit to all workers and their
households.”


Privacy
While the majority of the document is primarily monetary focused,
there is also a number of key paragraphs surrounding the use of
private information.


“The operational model proposed has a back office where decisions are
made in respect of the service applied for and which can lead to a
change of civic or immigration data. Key components of the back office
will be a rules-based risk engine that will quality-assure, verify
data and investigate exceptions,” reads the discussion document.


“Policy, legal, research, statistical and analysis units will support
this work and draw tactical and strategic lessons that will be used to
mitigate risks, counter threats and address systemic faults in
partnerships with relevant departments.”


“Applications will be made through various front-office channels that
are user-friendly and fully digitized, with clear security protocols
and escalations. Channels might be online or provided by third parties
trained by the DHA, such as other departments or banks.”


As such there is now a tacit understanding that government will have
access to your most personal data and use said data to help
streamline service delivery, expand outreach and aid those most in
need.


It will also become a key source of revenue, according to the
document, with “the sale of identity services and products (being)
another large revenue stream, with potential partners including GPW,
the CSIR and private sector companies.”


“Policy, legal, research, statistical and analysis units will support
this work and draw tactical and strategic lessons that will be used to
mitigate risks, counter threats and address systemic faults in
partnerships with relevant departments,” said the document. V.2004

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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