South African human rights organization the Legal Resources Center (LRC) has initiated a legal challenge against the country’s Department of Home Affairs over the what it says are cumbersome requirements for establishing birth certificates for children born in the country.
The LRC, acting on behalf of 17 parents, last year, filed an application at the Cape Town High Court challenging the Birth and Death registration Act regulations as anti-constitutional, according to reporting by Mail & Guardian. Home Affairs is opposing the application.
For a birth certificate to be issued to a child born in South Africa, the regulations of the Birth and Death Act require a document showing proof of birth of the child (obtainable from the hospital where the child was born), submission of the child’s biometrics (palm, foot or fingerprints) and a certified copy of the parents’ identity document such as a valid visa, passport or temporary stay permit, among other requirements.
Speaking to South African broadcaster SABC recently, the LRC’s candidate attorney representing the parents in the matter, Muyenga Mugerwa-Sekawabe, explained that children end up not having birth certificates because their parents are unable to meet up with some of the requirements outlined in the Act.
Birth registration is vital in South Africa as it enables children, later on in their lives, to have access to a wide range of services such as admission into schools. Also, the national ID card can only be issued upon the presentation of a birth certificate.
“In addition to these, the parents are also obliged to submit all the requirements within a period of 30 days of the child’s birth,” said Muyenga.
This, he said, makes it difficult for many parents to comply with the demands, which means their children may not be able to obtain a birth certificate in their lifetime.
The official

added that one common case reported to their office is that of children of asylum seekers, or non-South African nationals, some of who do not have papers or have papers which have expired and cannot be renewed within 30 days.
“As such, their children’s births cannot be registered. We also have cases of children whose parents are South Africans but who abandoned them at an early age of either five, six or seven. At the later age when the children require an ID, it becomes difficult for them as they don’t have any documents to prove their parentage,” said Muyenga.
The LRC has in the past couple of years received complaints from parents who have unsuccessfully tried to establish birth certificates because of the demanding regulations.
“The 30-day deadline requirement is also one of the issues being challenged. This is a problem for people living in very remote areas of the country and those with very low income who may find it difficult traveling to the nearest home affairs offices to register their children before deadline,” the LRC Attorney told SABC.
All of these difficulties, the Attorney explained, end up creating bigger problems in the future for children who do not have birth certificates.
“Without the birth certificate, you cannot open a bank account, and having a job will be more difficult. Having access to education and healthcare will be a very challenging thing to do. So, where these unregistered children find themselves is very precarious. They may have to depend on other people, for instance, to open a bank account for them,” he added.
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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.
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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.

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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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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