President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday asked the Jewish community to
join hands with the government in taking the country forward, assuring
those who owned land that a solution addressing land reform would be
found.
`We want to say that we would like the land reform process to unfold
within the framework of our Constitution and to be underpinned by the
rule of the law, and [it] should be implemented in ways that will
broaden economic growth,` he said at the Gardens Shul in Cape Town.
`More importantly, it should be implemented in a way to promote social
cohesion among all South Africans.`
Ramaphosa said many land owners were fearful and looked at reform as
an intractable problem.
He said the same was said of apartheid but South Africans proved
critics wrong by finding a lasting solution. He believed the same
would happen with the land, through reconciliation and negotiation.
Referring to the land issue as a `wound` that had continued to fester,
he said it needed further attention by being `dressed up, stitched and
healed permanently`.
`Through the parliamentary process, we are certain we will arrive at a
solution that provides clarity and certainty.`
Accepting an invitation to join celebrations for Rosh Hashanah (Jewish
New Year), Ramaphosa was met with thunderous applause when he touched
on the fight against corruption, the quest to bring about peace in the
Middle East and his hope for a brighter future for South Africa.
He didn`t miss a beat when he greeted the packed synagogue with
`Shalom` and even demanded that Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein drop off
a copy of the Talmud (religious text) so he could place it next to the
Torah in his study.
Ramaphosa acknowledged the role that the community had played during
apartheid and continued to play today in `every crevice of South
African life`.
`Freedom and democracy`
Goldstein warmly welcomed Ramaphosa and referred to him as a `true
mensch`.
`Your election as leader of the ANC and elevation to the president of
South Africa is a great victory for freedom and democracy

and the hope
of a brighter future for all,` Goldstein said.
`Mr President, we commend you for bravely and resolutely leading the
fight against corruption,` he added, to more applause.
Goldstein said the Jewish community had its `sleeves rolled up` and
was ready to partner with Ramaphosa to build the economy and create jobs.
He said they loved and cherished the State of Israel.
`During the Holocaust, Jews had nowhere to run and nowhere to turn. We
cannot be separated from it (Israel).
`It is in South Africa`s best interests to form strong ties with the
only, free democratic country in the Middle East and... to partner
with the robust economy and technology of Israel.`
Ramaphosa responded that the downgrading of the SA embassy in Israel
was an ANC conference decision but that South Africa stood ready to
play a constructive role in the peace process.
`We are clear in our support for the achievement of a Palestinian
state alongside the right of the state of Israel to exist in peace and
security with its neighbours,` he said.
`It remains our hope that people of Palestine and Israel will work
with each other and with the international community to achieve
lasting, peace and stability... What I would like to say is, let us
continue engaging. Let us not walk away from each other.`
Ramaphosa acknowledged the technical recession and said the government
was looking at ways to inject more life into the economy.
He said it had been music to his ears when he heard Jewish business
leaders were prepared to come forward with a number of proposals on
how to further create jobs.
`What we are going through now is just a dark patch,` he said in closing.
`The good thing is that we know where the problems are and as we go
on, we know where the skeletons are… and where the bodies are buried.
I can assure you that South Africa in the next while is going to be in
a far better position.` V.2463

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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