The Department of Home Affairs is looking to deploy high-technology at six borders to minimise the movement of illicit good at the land ports.
So said minister Aaron Motsoaledi yesterday, during a joint press conference to explain the request for proposals for the development of the six busiest land ports of entry.
“In our request for proposals, we are expecting the prospective partner companies to come install the latest technologies, such as gamma ray scanners, such that each truck can drive through them.”
According to the minister, gamma ray technology can pick up anything from illicit cigarettes, liquor, paper money and human beings.
“Some ports in other jurisdictions are still using X-ray technology, which we regard as outdated,” he noted.
The six borders where the technology will be deployed are Beitbridge (Zimbabwe), Lebombo (Mozambique), Maseru Bridge (Lesotho), Ficksburg (Lesotho), Kopfontein (Botswana) and Oshoek (Eswatini).
“The main objective is to make it easier for the law-abiding people and companies to easily enter and exit South Africa through our borders, while the illicit movement of persons and goods is nipped in the blud ` pun intended,” Motsoaledi said.
“In fact, South Africa’s ports of entry were designed during the apartheid era with the primary objective of tightened security, while neglecting the effective facilitation of regional and international trade.”
He added the outcome of the redevelopment of these ports of entry will be used as a blueprint in the long-term

for all of South Africa’s other land ports of entry.
Civic body Public Interest SA says porous borders have long been a concern for South Africa, as they contribute to illicit economies, human trafficking and transnational organised crime.
“Public Interest SA commends the forward-thinking approach of the Department of Home Affairs and its partners in addressing these pressing issues head-on. Better late than never,” says the organisation.
“This joint effort reflects a commitment to bolstering the security and integrity of South Africa’s borders, ensuring the safety of its citizens, and protecting its economy from the harmful effects of illegal activities.”
Earlier this year, the department said it was looking to increase coverage of its Biometric Movement Control System (BMCS) across all ports of entry during the 2023/24 financial year.
The project was initiated to replace the enhanced Movement Control System (eMCS) by capturing the biometrics of travellers coming into the country.
It will replace the eMCS, which has reached its end of life. The eMCS was implemented just before the World Cup in 2010, with enhancements in 2013.
The BMCS aims to enable the capturing of fingerprint and facial biometric data for all travellers who enter and exit SA.
It also serves to trace the movement of travellers in the country, as well as identify citizens and foreign nationals to improve national security. V.4969

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.

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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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