Former ministers â€` as well as the incumbent minister of home affairs -
have been identified as possible witnesses to be called to appear
before a parliamentary committee probing the naturalisation of the
Guptas as South Africans.
According to a draft report presented to the home affairs oversight
committee on Tuesday‚ former home affairs minister Mangosuthu
Buthelezi‚ who served in that portfolio between 1994 and 2004‚ has
been identified as one of the prominent people who could provide more
answers on how two of the Gupta brothers became naturalised citizens.
The home affairs committee`s draft report has flagged Buthelezi`s
successors Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula‚ who was the political head of the
department between 2004 and 2009‚ as one of the top people that could
be called to testify.
Current home affairs minister Malusi Gigaba‚ currently in a second
stint in the portfolio following a brief term between 2014 and 2017‚
was also targeted as a witness.
Senior ANC MP Hlomane Chauke‚ who is also chairperson of the home
affairs committee‚ said they were due to meet again on Wednesday
morning to finalise the list of potential witnesses and the issues to
probe further after receiving the draft report from parliamentary
researchers and lawyers.
The committee wants answers in relation to the permits used by Atul
and Rajesh Gupta `initially [to] enter South Africa between 1994 and
1998”.
Atul and Rajesh were issued with naturalisation certificates in 2002
and 2006 respectively.
Former senior officials of the department‚ Richard Sikakane and
Siyamthanda Skota‚ are also likely to be called to testify - while
Gupta business associates

Ashu Chwala and Nazeem Howa are also on the
radar.
The committee wants government officials to answer questions ranging
from the permits used by the Guptas and their family members to first
enter South Africa in 1993‚ alleged irregularities in how they
obtained permanent residence statuses‚ supporting documents backing
claims of investment to the tune of R25-billion‚ and why their
applications were `prioritised faster than other such naturalisation
applications”.
The committee`s report also found that while the Guptas claimed in the
motivations for naturalisation that they were making `social
investments` and donations to schools in the North West province‚ some
of the schools contacted by parliamentary researchers `indicated they
never received a donation from Oakbay Group” ‚ a Gupta-owned company.
Of the 76 schools listed as having received the donations from Oakbay‚
only 11 bothered to respond to queries from parliament - with six
confirming the receipt while the balance denied receiving anything.
Those that acknowledged the `social investments` listed‚ among other
things‚ R1‚000 in prize monies that were paid to leaners who took part
in competitions related to invitations to the Gupta wedding.
Other schools received soccer cones‚ hula hoops‚ soccer balls‚ rugby
balls‚ soccer shirts and shin guards.
The report stated that during a parliamentary inquiry in May this
year‚ some officials from home affairs visited several schools to
collect information related to the donations. V.2393

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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