Pretoria – At first, Home Affairs officials required him to submit proof that he changed from woman to man, then later informed him that his documents went missing.
But the latest explanation that he could not be a man because he previously gave birth to a child drove Stephen Lombard over the edge.
Lombard has struggled for nearly three decades to get the Department of Home Affairs to reflect the new sex on his ID.
However, he found justice this week when the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, eventually ordered the department to reflect his sex as male on his ID.
It must do so within 20 days.
Lombard is a victim of officials referred to by Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba when he said he was shocked to hear that they demanded proof from gays and lesbians or people who had changed sex.
“What shocked me the most was the attitude of the officials… What kind of proof are you asking for? That is shocking,” Gigaba said in June, adding that the matter was receiving attention.
Lombard approached the court after the department simply ignored his request, lost his documents or insisted on confirmation from his doctor that he was in fact now a man.
All these documents were given to the department, but nearly 30 years after his sex reassignment procedure, Boksburg-based Lombard was still waiting in vain as all his requests fell on deaf ears.
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Man’s Home Affairs nightmare after sex change
Pretoria – At first, Home Affairs officials required him to submit proof that he changed from woman to man, then later informed him that his documents went missing.
But the latest explanation that he could not be a man because he previously gave birth to a child drove Stephen Lombard over the edge.
Lombard has struggled for nearly three decades to get the Department of Home Affairs to reflect the new sex on his ID.
However, he found justice this week when the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, eventually ordered the department to reflect his sex as male on his ID.
It must do so within 20 days.
“What shocked me the most was the attitude of the officials… What kind of proof are you asking for? That is shocking,” Gigaba said in June, adding that the matter was receiving attention.
Lombard approached the court after the department simply ignored his request, lost his documents or insisted on confirmation from his doctor that he was in fact now a man.
All these documents were given to the department, but nearly 30 years after his sex reassignment procedure, Boksburg-based Lombard was still waiting in vain as all his requests fell on deaf ears.
Source
EU visas: Exemptions for SA travellers on the cards
Pretoria – Talks were ongoing regarding the relaxation or elimination of visa requirements for South Africans travelling to European Union (EU) member states, Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba announced on Tuesday.
Gigaba said he held discussions with the ambassador of the EU to South Africa Marcus Cornaro regarding this matter.
He told a media briefing in Pretoria that he wanted reciprocity from these member states, because South Africa had already given them visa exemption when travelling to the country.
“We took a decision last year in South Africa that frequent travellers to our country will be given a three-year multi-entry visa.
“This is because if somebody is a frequent visitor to the country and spends their money in South Africa, they have not breached our immigration laws.
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Lesotho Special Permits: SA Home Affairs eases requirements to legalise more Basotho
Cape Town – The South African Department of Home Affairs is doing everything in their power to legalise Lesotho nationals’ stays in South Africa.
In an effort to push up the number of applicants for the Lesotho Special Permit (LSP) and create a one-stop shop to save applicants’ time, the DHA on Tuesday, 27 September, announced a new special provision that allows Basotho to apply for the Lesotho Special Permit, at the VFS Global-operated application centres, without passports.
Previously, one of the requirements for Lesotho nationals to gain permission to stay in SA legally was to have a valid passport or travel document with a unique Lesotho identity (ID) number. The previous requirement further stated that the passport be valid for a period of more than four years.
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Lesotho nationals worried they will miss permit deadline
Many still await documents that they need to complete application
Lesotho nationals living and working in De Doorns are not sure whether they will be able to meet the application deadline (30 September) for the Lesotho Special Permit (LSP), says Owen Maromo from People Against Suffering Oppression and Poverty (PASSOP), an immigrant rights organisation.
LSP is a project initiated by the South African and Lesotho governments to regularise Lesotho nationals living and working in South Africa. The initial closing date was 30 June 2016 but this was extended.
According to a GroundUp report in May only 500 out of about 5,000 Lesotho nationals living and working in De Doorns had managed to successfully apply for LSP by 30 June 2016.
In August the Lesotho and South African governments ran a programme in De Doorns, Worcester and Ceres assisting Lesotho nationals to apply for birth certificates and identity documents since most of them were not in possession of these, which are necessary to apply for an LSP.
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