• The Department of Home Affairs has told Parliament that their officials irregularly facilitated SA passports for foreigners while the country was in lockdown.
• The department is also investigating nearly 300 000 unauthorised cross-border movements which were registered on its central management system.
• On Tuesday, MPs were briefed on the department’s effort to root out corruption in the issuance of visas and permits.
When the country was in the chokehold of the Covid-19 lockdown, rogue home affairs officials irregularly facilitated South African passports for foreign nationals.
On top of this, investigations into nearly 300 000 unauthorised cross-border movements are under way and over 3 000 retirement visas have come under the microscope.
As the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) continues to unravel a litany of illegal and irregular actions, the figures paint a clear picture of corruption running deep within the government’s most important departments.
On Tuesday, Parliament’s Committee on Home Affairs was briefed on the progress made by the department to investigate the illegal issuing of visas and other documents.
Former top civil servant, Cassius Lubisi, chairs a task team established to review all permits issued since 2004 - the year in which the Immigration Act came into operation.
Forensic investigations specialist Peter Bishop, who is part of the task team, told MPs they uncovered transactions on the movement control system (MCS) that were created by the irregular users.
Bishop said:
Investigation has commenced, and 285 427 matters were identified for further investigation and action, ostensibly involving unauthorised DHA users that processed movements across South African borders.
He also said some DHA officials allegedly assisted foreign nationals to obtain South African passports irregularly.
This occurred during the height of the Covid-19 lockdown.
“So far, 111 matters have been identified for further investigation,” he said.
Bishop said there was a significant increase of applications for retirement visas between 2016 and 2018.
He said an investigation into the issuance of retirement visas had commenced.
He added that 3 530 visa matters were identified for investigation `relating to retirement visas or permits for young applicants, work or a spousal relationship visa to entitle the applicants to work in

South Africa`.
Bishop also reported that visa applications were rejected due to fraudulent documents submitted but then new applications were approved.
“All 4 160 applications that were rejected due to fraudulent documents submitted but applicants later applied for other visa and permit types which were approved,” he said.
Regarding this, he said 10 matters were under investigation; and six criminal referrals were en route to the Hawks.
Bishop also said investigations into missing visa or permit control numbers had started.
According to him, 1 115 visas were ostensibly issued to foreign nationals, where it appears that certain visa labels may not have been issued by the DHA.
Deputy Home Affairs Minister Njabulo Nzuza said criminals and syndicates were not sitting back.
He said:
When we improve our systems, they also try to improve ways in which they can break our system. Our fight is consistent, and our approach is now that we always have to be a step ahead. This panel has really helped to be steps ahead and prevent some of the things that occurred.
He also said the notion that only junior officials were being targeted was skewed.
“The organisational structure of home affairs, the majority [of the] people that you employ are at junior level. As you go up in the ranks, you have fewer and fewer people. In the permitting division, we had a chief director and we dealt with that matter.
“You have to deal with that one chief director or deputy director-general responsible. This is why it seems like we are less interested in deal[ing] with the top structure because we have less officials to deal with. You deal with one, you deal with the problem,” he said.
ANC MP Bongani Bongo said the department needed to move with visa and permit applications as there were several outstanding.
He also said the only officials targeted for disciplinary proceedings were the “extremely junior ones”.
“They are not talking about the officials of the higher levels. Big instructions involved directors and DDGs,” he said.
DA MP Adrian Roos said the longer investigations took, the more the department’s capacity to produce legal visas and permits were limited. V.4954

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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