The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has lost another battle over blocking South African IDs arbitrarily after the South Gauteng High Court ordered the department to unblock the identity numbers belonging to a man residing in Eikenhoff, south of Johannesburg. The 42-year-old said it had affected his life as the banks suspended his accounts into which his salary was deposited.

The blocking of IDs began in May 2012 when the department started a campaign to address the issue of duplicate IDs on the National Population Register. What started as 29 000 identity documents having markers placed against them quickly escalated to over one million by 2020.

However, this was challenged by Lawyers for Human Rights who said no law allows this.

The lawyers, in September last year, also said the criteria behind the blocking of some of these IDs had become increasingly arbitrary.

The North Gauteng High Court then declared that the department’s practice of blocking IDs was an unjust and irregular administrative action that was inconsistent with the country’s Constitution.

In the case brought by Monyake on March 2, last year, the DHA was the first respondent and Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi was the second respondent.

DHA spokesperson Siya Qoza did not respond to questions sent on Tuesday.

Monyake told the court that after his bank accounts were closed, his children were unable to go to school because he could not access his salary.

“If this matter is not adjudicated on urgent court roll this will cause unrepairable harm to my children’s future and to me too as I stand the chance of losing my job, and my children will have to quit schooling,” said Monyake.

He said he received his ID book in May 2005 and has been using it for various transactions without experiencing any problems.

Monyake said he became aware that his ID had been blocked after he applied for a personal loan and was told that his ID had been blocked and he should enquire with the DHA.

He then visited

the DHA offices but was told to bring his mother for the interview. Monyake said he hasn’t been able to trace his mother’s whereabouts for years, and he informed the DHA about it, but did not get any joy.

“I have tried several times to get even my uncle to go and witness or give evidence but no help still,” said Monyake, who added that he did not receive his salary on February 26.

He said when he asked his employer, he was told to check with his bank.

Monyake said the bank told him that all his accounts had been suspended until his ID book was sorted. He said this caused great frustration in his life.

On Mach 8, the court declared the blocking of his ID irrational and unconstitutional and ordered the department to unblock the ID.

Bishop Marothi Mashashane, representing the South African National Christian Forum (SANCF), who approached the court on behalf of Monyake, said the blocking effectively stripped affected individuals of their citizenship and dignity. He said many became ghosts in the system and were unable to obtain passports or driver`s licenses, vote, open bank accounts or obtain marriage, birth or even death certificates.

“They are rendered undocumented and vulnerable to unlawful arrest and deportation. The Constitutional Court itself emphasised that ‘the systematic act of stripping millions of black South Africans of their citizenship was one of the most pernicious policies of the apartheid regime, which left many as foreigners in the land of their birth’,” he said.

Mashashane said the SANCF approached the court to order the DHA to ensure a just and fair process that was in line with the Constitution, and the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act (PAJA) was applied in the case. He said what worried him the most was that only blacks were subjected to this “unlawful” ID blocking. V.5248

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.

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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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