A Free State farmer has come to the rescue of 110 children who cannot
attend school because they do not have identity documents.
The farmer Marieta Groenewald founded the Lethotheng Community Centre
in Clocolan where the undocumented children are being educated.


Groenewald said she felt compelled to help.
Most of the children is parents are South African or Lesotho nationals
but many have been left in the care of grandmothers who have meagre
means.


Phuleng Kopa a South African said her 10-year-old grandson Godfrey
could not go to mainstream schools because the schools required he
have a birth certificate.


His mother who is from Lesotho is thought to have abandoned Godfrey.
Home Affairs said my son has to have a blood test to prove he is the
father of the child and then they will give the child a birth
certificate said Kopa.


Another grandmother Gladys Ramodibedi said her daughter a Lesotho
citizen gave birth in the Free State but did not register her child at
Home Affairs.


I tried to put the child into a public school and explained what
happened but I was told to get documents because they can not accept
the child without them. I can not take the child to Lesotho because
she does not have any documents said Ramodibedi.


Liesel Müller of the Statelessness Unit of Lawyers for Human Rights
said there were numerous cases of undocumented children unable to
enter formal schooling.


It is unconstitutional. The schools policy says no child may be
refused admission and the constitution

enshrines the right of every
child to basic education.


Despite this children were being prevented from going to school.
The Department of Home Affairs should assist children to get
documentation with the help of the Department of Social Development.
No abandoned child should be without a birth certificate Müller
said.


Groenewald said the school teaches English, maths and life skills.
She said the volunteer-run centre had compiled a curriculum but
although pupils were tested performance reports could not be issued.
This meant the children would have to start from scratch if they
entered the formal schooling system.


The grandmothers are devastated because they want a future for their
grandchildren said Groenewald.


Home Affairs said children born in South Africa could not obtain a
birth certificate unless they could prove that at least one parent was
South African.


In the case of abandoned children Home Affairs worked with the
Department of Social Development to find the parents.


The proof and documentation we ask for is to safeguard the children
and avoid child trafficking Home Affairs spokesman Mayihlome Tshwete
said.


The Department of Basic Education said: Undocumented children become a
challenge and we urge parents to document them. We cannot continue
allowing children to remain undocumented. In some cases they reach
Grade 12 without any identification. V.1907

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
Click here for full article

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
Click here for full article

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
Click here for full article

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
Click here for full article

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
Click here for full article

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
Click here for full article

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
Click here for full article

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
Click here for full article

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
Click here for full article

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
Click here for full article