A couple from the Democratic Republic of Congo are no longer listed as “prohibited persons” after they were victorious in their bid at the Western Cape High Court.
A couple from the Democratic Republic of Congo are no longer listed as “prohibited persons” after they were victorious in their bid at the Western Cape High Court.
The couple were accused of having obtained visas fraudulently after applying for temporary asylum seeker and work permits in 2016.
That year in April, the wife had applied for the permit which authorised her to work in South Africa. She then obtained employment and thereafter obtained a work visa through an agent recommended by work colleagues.
According to court documents, her employer at the time questioned the legitimacy of the permit as the date of issue reflected 2015 but after a verification process, the Department of Home Affairs “reported that the work visa was not issued by it and was a fraudulent document”.
With regard to the husband, he had been studying in Cape Town in 2013 when he applied for a permanent resident permit through a friend for which he had paid R13 000.
According to court documents, at no stage was the husband aware that there was anything irregular about the application. Once he obtained the permit, he travelled internationally many times without difficulty and also presented the permit without difficulty to the department when registering the birth of his daughter.
In both cases, neither of the two were afforded a hearing, notice or reasons prior to their

prohibition.
This comes despite the fact that the wife was also instrumental in having an agent arrested for issuing her a fraudulent visa.
Court papers read: “On 3 November 2018, she left South Africa for the DRC where she met Mr Mosenga who assisted her in obtaining a new visa which she refers to as the 2018 visa. When she went to the airport in Lubumbashi, the officials there told her that this visa too was fake. She then filed criminal charges against Mr Mosenga. At the request of the police in Lubumbashi, she asked Mr Mosenga to meet her near the Consulate and when he did, he was arrested in her presence.”
In 2021 the husband applied to the director-general of the department to overturn his prohibition but his efforts were stubbed when his application was rejected in September 2021.
In his reasons rejecting the application, according to court records, the DG had said: “There is no evidence in your representation to prove that you were a victim of fraud. The fact that you travelled in and out of the country with your permanent residence permit uninterrupted does not exempt you from the provisions of section 48 of the Immigration Act 13 of 2002.”
Judge Yasmin Meer said: “I agree with the applicants that by not receiving notice or not being afforded an opportunity to make representations, the process by which the applicants were declared prohibited persons was unfair and unlawful, being contrary to PAJA.” V.5237

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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