Johannesburg – South Africa should embrace international migration for development of the country, Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba has said.
He reiterated that South Africa was committed to offering sanctuary to refugees.
“This is a matter which for us is not merely an international obligation, but a moral imperative. It is an expression of our foreign policy, which seeks to build a better Africa and a better world,” he said.
“Therefore our commitment to refugees is unwavering, and the challenge before us is to figure out what is the best way to discharge our mandate.”
Gigaba was speaking at a policy dialogue with civil society on the green paper on International Migration in Doornfontein on Friday. The green paper contends that it is neither desirable nor possible to stop international migration.
International migration is a natural, largely positive phenomenon which, if well managed, can and will make a crucial contribution to growing our economy and transforming Africa as envisioned in Agenda 2063. The paper sets out core principles to inform the nation’s management of international migration.
PRESIDENT ZUMA DECLARES 27 DECEMBER A PUBLIC HOLIDAY
CAPE TOWN – President Jacob Zuma has declared 27 December a public holiday following a request by the Federation of Unions of South Africa (Fedusa).
Fedusa says it made the call as workers in the country will only have 11 public holidays instead of 12 this year, as Christmas Day falls on a Sunday.
According to section 2(1) of the Public Holidays Act 1994, “whenever a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday shall be a public holiday”.
However, as 26 December 2016 is also a public holiday, the two overlap.
The Presidency says the move will ensure that workers still get their 12 paid public holidays.
Fedusa says its pleased that President Zuma has declared the day a public holiday.
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Gigaba: SA can benefit by welcoming migrants
Johannesburg – South Africa should embrace international migration for development of the country, Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba has said.
He reiterated that South Africa was committed to offering sanctuary to refugees.
“This is a matter which for us is not merely an international obligation, but a moral imperative. It is an expression of our foreign policy, which seeks to build a better Africa and a better world,” he said.
“Therefore our commitment to refugees is unwavering, and the challenge before us is to figure out what is the best way to discharge our mandate.”
Gigaba was speaking at a policy dialogue with civil society on the green paper on International Migration in Doornfontein on Friday. The green paper contends that it is neither desirable nor possible to stop international migration.
SOUTH AFRICA | Consular Posts Beginning to Request Apostilles
Some South African Embassies, High Commissions, and Consulates abroad have begun requiring documents submitted in support of visa applications to be apostilled. South Africa has traditionally been considered to have one of the more convenient processes for intra-company transfers and short-term work assignments because of the fact that the work visa is applied for at the South African consular post in the foreign national’s home country without the need to first obtain pre-departure work and residence permit approvals. As a result of the exclusive consular approval process, supporting documentation requirements have been relatively liberal. In light of this new trend of requiring the documents to be apostilled, the process may now be lengthened by several weeks.
While South Africa has been a member of The Hague Apostille Convention since 1995, it has not until just recently begun requiring documents submitted in its immigration process to be apostilled. The South African Immigration Act, and the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) regulations implemented thereunder, are not specific on the authentication requirements for documents submitted in support of visa applications. In previous practice, the DHA and overseas consular posts accepted original documents and copies of documents which had been authenticated by the issuing authority, without requiring legalization or an Apostille.
No official announcement has yet been made as to whether this is a formal change in policy and whether apostilled documents will be required for all cases in all consular posts. Therefore, employers and their foreign national employees working in South Africa should anticipate this potential additional step and begin the immigration process several weeks earlier to ensure that business plans are not interrupted in the event that apostilled documents are requested.
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Rand outperforms global currencies ahead of rates move
Cape Town – The rand continued its rally on Monday, outperforming other currencies a few days before the South African Reserve Bank (Sarb) announces its latest interest rate decision, with analysts expecting the repo rate to remain at 7%.
Trading 0.8% stronger against the dollar at R14.09 in morning trade, the rand was one of only three liquid currencies to gain against the dollar last week and has firmed around 4% versus its peer risk currencies, according to RMB analyst John Cairns.
“The rand continues to outperform massively,” he said in a note on Monday. “Effectively, this represents the local risk premium being unwound: more than half of the blowout since the latest Hawks-Gordhan story has been reversed.
“Rand gains have come despite the negative global backdrop,” he added. “The higher-than-expected US CPI figure and the large fine for Deutsche Bank have created generalised risk aversion as well as strong dollar gains.”
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