• Staff at South Africa’s embassy in Berlin, Germany are issuing handwritten visas due to faulty printers.
• Officials also have to use private wifi routers to connect to the internet.
• In June, the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation conducted a fact-finding oversight visit to embassies in Germany and Portugal.
Diplomatic staff at South Africa’s mission in Germany, the country`s third largest trading partner, are issuing handwritten visas because printers are faulty, telephones lines are not working, and officials use private routers to connect to wifi.
In June, the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation conducted a fact-finding oversight visit on the status of the vacant state-owned properties under the management of South Africa’s embassies in Germany and Portugal.
On Friday, parties deliberated on the committee’s report during a mini-plenary session in the National Assembly.
`The mission in Berlin is faced with tools of trade not being compatible with the printers, resulting in handwritten visas; telephones not working; and officials using private routers to connect to wifi,` the committee report read.
`The committee delegation asked itself what the understanding could have been with the new service provider to make such a move in modernising ICT.
`It was said that the issues warrant urgent attention of the ministers of International Relations and Cooperation of Home Affairs.
`In the wake of many Germans being caught up in unfortunate incidents of crime in South Africa, Germany is providing support to prevent violence and for efforts to upgrade urban spaces in townships that are particularly affected by violence.`
During their visit to Germany, MPs heard that the mission in Berlin had raised a concern regarding transferred staff shortages and limited budget.
`The Mission is not able to cover all the states in Germany due to budget constraints. The Mission is constrained to do its work to its full potential due to these factors, much as Germany is a developed country, which is also the biggest trading partner with South Africa, with 72 Structured Bilateral Mechanisms (SBMs) with Germany,` the report read.
Furthermore, the report stated that the level of dilapidation in the interior of the vacant state-owned buildings in Bonn and Funchal is immeasurable, with mould everywhere, ripped flooring, ripped ceilings, graffiti on the walls, appliances stolen and basically empty shells.
`The state-owned properties in Bonn and Funchal have been neglected for more than 30 years. They are in sort after areas and they are structurally solid properties, however the State stands to lose money on disposing of them as they are. It was found mind boggling that these properties were left to rot and decay to the level where they are rendered worthless,` it said.
Parliament`s report also highlighted:
• Germany is the third largest source

of overseas tourists to South Africa after the UK and US.
• The number of German tourists declined by 86% from 322 720 in 2019 to 44 388 in 2021.
• The numbers again increased by 85% from 2021 to 81 978 during twelve-month period until the end of March 2022.
• In March 2022, South Africa received 16 362 German visitors in comparison to only 2 082 in March 2021.
• The challenges to enhance tourism from Germany to South Africa include cutting of flights between two countries, negative impact of load shedding and perceived lack of safety and security for tourists in South Africa.
• A number of German citizens have either been hijacked or killed in South Africa.
South Africa’s overseas missions have recently come under the spotlight due to several irregularities.
In October 2021, News24 reported that a fact-finding mission to New York, carried out by MPs in December 2019, had found that the piece of land meant to house South Africa`s diplomats did not exist.
The report concluded R118 million was paid on the basis of a misrepresentation to the department the estate agent had bought land to build a suitable and sustainable office building.
International Relations and Cooperation Minster Naledi Pandor once told the National Assembly that the botched R118-million project was a national embarrassment. Pandor put the department`s director-general, Kgabo Mahoai, on precautionary suspension. Mahoai was later dismissed.
Committee chairperson MP Supra Mahumapelo applauded the department for a clean audit, but stressed that existing challenges should be addressed.
`We urge that the audit action plan should be designed to address these recurring errors. We have noted that department continues to fly the SA flag high, whether it is at the United Nations or other multilateral forums. We have witnessed the strengthening of the AU and solutions for African problems,` he said.
IFP MP Mkhuleko Hlengwa said Germany was a strategic investment partner, but the telephone lines at South Africa’s embassy were not working.
`These problems lead one to think of the purpose of these embassies. It is clear that [the embassies’] are not being fulfilled,` he said.
DA MP Mergan Chetty said the committee had been misled to think that the embassies’ ICT modernisation project of migration from the old system to the new, had been completed successfully.
`Also in its recent Quarter 4 performance reporting, the Department gave a rosy picture of 100% completeness of the ICT project in the missions. Further more, we witnessed much to our disbelief, that our Consulate department in Berlin were busy issuing hand written visa documents instead of the computerised version,` he added. V.5064

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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