“We are now handling a very difficult case of somebody who got
married and after getting citizenship he got divorced and went
home to fetch the ‘real’ wife. So we are taking his citizenship
away. But he is resisting and says that we are evil as we found
out about his fake marriages after a long time. So he is
threatening to go to court,” he said.
Between April 2018 and June 2019 Motsoaledi said there were more
than 2,000 fraudulent marriages, almost all involving foreign
nationals. About 1,100 had since been annulled while more than 600
were referred to courts to be dissolved through divorce.
Speaking to TimesLIVE at the Valentine’s Day mass wedding at
Robben Island on Friday, Motsoaledi said young women were often
victims of these undesirable marriages, enticed with money.
“Young women who need money for their nails, hair and cellphones
are usually caught up in these marriages. Some of the girls do it
knowingly that they don’t want this marriage, but they do it
anyway knowing that they will just discard it. But the new
marriage policy will be very clear and have measures in place to
minimise occurrence of these marriages of convenience. Those who
think that getting married is a game will realise that it’s a
dangerous game,” he said.
The proposed single marriage law, which is currently being
investigated by the SA Law Reform Commission, seeks to give
everyone equal rights, regardless of their religious and cultural
background. The new statute will replace the Marriage Act of 1961,
the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act of 1998 and the Civil
Union Act of 2006.
The commission is considering either a single act with a unified
set of requirements, or an “omnibus option” reflecting the current
diverse set of legal requirements and consequences of civil,
religious and customary marriages and civil unions.
It is also looking into consent and capacity to marry, minimum
age, the issuing of marriage licences and

marriage ceremonies. It
will also look into spousal support, antenuptial agreements,
cohabitation rights, dispute resolution in family matters and
bogus marriages.
Motsoaledi said one of the weaknesses of the current law was that
it allowed one person to register a marriage alone, as long they
had the required documents.
“In the new law we will require them to come together. Some of the
women end up getting married unknowingly because they had their
documents stolen. So we want both of them to appear together,” he
said.
The new law is expected to come into effect in 2021.
Marriage officers will also be trained to look out for red flags
in potential bogus marriages. In cases of foreigners marrying
across the border, countries of origin will also be consulted to
check the marital status of marriage applicants.
“So in the proposed law it’s going to be a little bit tough. We
are going to demand some information from the countries of origin
that you are actually not married. We will train marriage officers
to understand the implications of marrying across the borders.
People take marriages like a game ... that I will just marry and
annul. But that game will now become a very dangerous one to
play,” he said.
Motsoaledi said under the new marriage regime teenage marriages
will not be tolerated. Statistics from the department of social
development show that in 2016 there were 103 teenage divorces and
in 2017 there were about 73.
Currently parents are allowed to give their daughter`s hand in
marriage even if they are underage.
“There are about 14,600 ministers of religion and 1,400 home
affairs officers. All of them will be instructed about this. Even
if you go to them as a teen they will tell you that I’m sorry I
won’t allow you,” said Motsoaledi.
www.samigration.com V.3010

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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