After a number of calls from fathers explaining the difficulties
they`ve faced registering their child`s birth without the mothers
present, Bongani Bingwa invited Home Affairs to respond.
Acting Director-General of Home Affairs Thulani Mavuso says there are
two categories when one registers a birth.
Children born in wedlock and children born out of wedlock. In South
Africa, children that are born out of wedlock are registered under the
mother`s surname.
�` Thulani Mavuso, Acting Director-General of Home Affairs
Also where paternity has been acknowledged and the mother consents
that the child can be registered using the father`s surname, the
department accepts that.
�` Thulani Mavuso, Acting Director-General of Home Affairs
He adds that it is a question of the two parties agreeing on the
process and Home Affairs doesn`t refuse when the mother says they
aren`t married but would like the child to be registered under the
father`s surname.
He says when there isn`t an agreement between the parents, Home
Affairs doesn`t regulate between the two parties.
But what we do is take the interest of the child and that is why the
mother`s surname will then take effect because she is the one who has
given birth to the

child.
�` Thulani Mavuso, Acting Director-General of Home Affairs
And Home Affairs cannot give the father rights as the mother should be
the one that gives consent.
�` Thulani Mavuso, Acting Director-General of Home Affairs
He says if there is still no agreement, then it is a matter of the
courts to decide.
Fathers can register the birth without mothers in that instance but
there will be multiple verifications that we would have to do.
�` Thulani Mavuso, Acting Director-General of Home Affairs
One of the instances is if the fathers come to Home Affairs and say he
is the father and the mother is no longer there, they then need to
bring proof of death, hospital records.
�` Thulani Mavuso, Acting Director-General of Home Affairs
He adds that if the father shows without doubt reasons linking him to
this particular child, then they can register.
He says there are other instances when a father shows up with a
16-year-old, without a mother present, it becomes difficult to prove
the authenticity.
We then say to that particular person, is that they should do a DNA test.
�` Thulani Mavuso, Acting Director-General of Home Affairs V.2464

All 30 bank branches offering Smart ID cards and passport renewals Hanno Labuschagne14 May 2024 All 30 bank branches offering Smart ID cards and passport renewals Over half the bank branches that support Smart ID card issuing and passport renewals are in Gauteng. In addition, more than 83% of the branches are in the three most populous provinces in South Africa, while only about 56.3% of the country’s population lives in these provinces. Many people will have to travel far to use one of these branches instead of a regular, problem-ridden Home Affairs office to get a new ID or passport. Thirty bank branches support the eHomeAffairs system introduced by the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) in 2016. V.5355
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The Constitutional Court recently ruled that children born in South Africa to foreign parents qualify for South African citizenship in terms of Section 2 of the South African Citizenship Act. That is, if you were born in South Africa to foreign parents who have not been admitted as permanent residents, you qualify to apply for South African citizenship upon becoming a major if your birth was registered and if you have lived here all your life, irrespective of the date of your birth and you have not accepted the nationality of another country. The judgment also reduced the term for applying for citizenship by holders of permanent residence from 5 years to 10 years by declaring Regulation 3(2)(a) of the Citizenship Act Regulations unconstitutional. V.5357
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Turkey Visa for South African Citizens In 2013, the e Visa program was launched by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, enabling citizens of more than 100 countries, such as South Africa, to request a Turkish visa through the internet. Therefore, South African tourists favor Turkey as a destination. South African citizens are no longer required to visit the Turkish embassy in person as they can now conveniently apply for their e-visa online. V.5348
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The Australian High Court passed a judgement on Friday that dismissed an Iranian asylum seeker’s plea to be released from immigration detention and enter the country. The Iranian asylum seeker, applicant ASF-17, applied to the Federal Court of Australia for a writ of habeas corpus in 2023 on the basis that his continuing detention exceeded the constitutional limitation identified in the orders of NZYQ v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs released the week prior. The applicant has been refusing to cooperate with the process of being removed from Australia to Iran since 2018, arguing that he would be at risk of persecution for his sexual orientation and religious beliefs. V.5349
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Home Affairs officials are “selling South Africa to foreign nationals” out of greed, says Minister Aaron Motsoaledi. In an exclusive interview with The Witness on Thursday, Motsoaledi said 182 department officials were dismissed for fraud and corruption between 2018 and 2024. Among those dismissed was a chief director who was implicated in assisting a foreign national in getting a permanent residence permit in the country, at a fee. Those who bear the brunt of the corruption are mostly drug addicts, whose personal information is used by Home Affairs officials to create fake IDs and passports for foreigners. V.5350
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Visa waivers for travellers from Kenya and Ghana have catalysed a remarkable 15.4% increase in international tourist numbers to South Africa. File picture: Tracey Adams/ Independent Newspapers South Africa`s tourism sector is experiencing a renaissance fuelled by the recent removal of visa requirements for travellers from select African countries. The latest data from Statistics South Africa showed a remarkable surge in international arrivals, signalling a promising trajectory for the industry. V.5354
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The City of Cape Town has called on the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) to address the visa system crisis and confusion over remote work visas. James Vos, the City’s Mayco member for economic growth, says the department ‘shot itself in the foot’ with the premature gazetting and withdrawal of regulations. ‘On 28 March, the DHA published the amended immigration regulations. This, however, was a day before the closing date of the public comment period. And then, on 12 April, the minister issued a notice withdrawing the 28 March amendments.’ As reported by BusinessTech, the regulations replaced the critical skills list with a new points-based system and introduced the remote work visa category. V.5345
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The City of Cape Town has slammed the Department of Home Affairs for creating confusion and continuing to score “infuriating” own goals in launching remote work visas in the country. Mayoral committee member for economic growth, James Vos, said that the last month has seen the department shoot itself in the foot with the premature gazetting and subsequent withdrawal of regulations that would create this category of visa. “On 28 March, the DHA published the amended immigration regulations. This, however, was a day before the closing date of the public comment period. And then, on 12 April, the minister issued a notice withdrawing the 28 March amendments,” Vos said. V.5346
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Recently settled case in the Labour Court demonstrated that excluding a job applicant because of their criminal record is only lawful when the requirements of that job explicitly outline and justify the need for a clean criminal record. However, legal experts say that the court’s decision ultimately delinked trust and honesty from the inherent requirements of a job, which was “concerning.” ENS Africa’s Nils Braatvedt, Kim Vova, and Lutho Zono examined the background, outcome, and subsequent analysis of the recent court ruling in O’Connor v LexisNexis. V.5347
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The City of Cape Town has slammed the Department of Home Affairs for creating confusion and continuing to score “infuriating” own goals in launching remote work visas in the country. Mayoral committee member for economic growth, James Vos, said that the last month has seen the department shoot itself in the foot with the premature gazetting-and subsequent withdrawal-of regulations that would create this category of visa. V.5343
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