Tag Archive for: South African Home Affairs

Andrew Stegmann

SA Home Affairs Asks United Nations HRC for Help with Refugee Backlog

The Department of Home Affairs has approached the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to help it clear the 150 000 refugee status appeals backlog, according to Director of Asylum Seekers, Mandla Madumisa.

Madumisa was speaking at the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) on recently, GroundUp reports.

The SAHRC subpoenaed Acting Home Affairs Director-General, Thulani Mavuso, to address complaints that the department takes an inordinately long time to process asylum applications and permanent residence permits.

SAHRC chairperson Bongani Majola, said his institution had struggled to engage with Home Affairs for the past year so a subpoena was necessary.

Majola said: “Home Affairs is a central structure that affects so many people’s lives.”

A working relationship should be established between the commission and Home Affairs so that individual cases could be dealt with efficiently, he said.

Progress

Majola asked Home Affairs representatives if any progress had been made on the backlog of refugee appeals.

Madumisa said a consultant from UNHRC was appointed and started in May. The consultant would assess the situation at Home Affairs and would come up with a comprehensive plan to deal with the backlog.

“By the end of July the department will receive that report and we will have a clear way forward on how we will deal with the backlog,” he said.

Mavuso said Home Affairs also struggled with the verification of information when it came to spousal visa applications. He said the turnaround time for the department is currently eight months but he said it was looking into extending it to 18 months.

“Eight months becomes a challenge because an adjudicator cannot touch an application before the inspector can put a stamp on the verification of information including supporting documents,” he said.

He said this meant that the inspectors would need to do various interviews and confirm that the information presented to Home Affairs is verified.

“You have cases where people submit police clearance documents but the documents have been totally manipulated… so because of the constraints on the ground of the inspectors, we will have to ensure that the [turn around] period increases,” he told the panel.

Mavuso said the turnaround time depended on whether the information provided was easily verified.

SAHRC commissioner Angie Makwetla asked Mavuso whether Home Affairs kept the applicants informed on the status of their application “because a person can’t wait from 2016 to 2018 and not know what is happening”.

Jackie McKay, Deputy Director General of Immigration, responded: “We would love to do that. In fact any good department would do that. But I have 22 people who deal with all of these cases… I’m working my staff to the bone.”

He said Home Affairs did not have systems in place that could automate those updates but he said it was currently working on a system that would make it more efficient.

 

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email marketing@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].

Andrew Stegmann
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Relief for SA-based Zimbabwean Students: Registrations and Visa Applications

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South Africa-based Zimbabwean students have been offered a lifeline as universities there have agreed to keep the registration period open while the South African embassy in Harare and the South African Ministry of Home Affairs are expediting visa applications.

There had been anxiety as academic visas in South Africa were taking too long to be issued while registration deadlines lapsed.

After pressure from South African students’ union, authorities in the country assured Zimbabwean students of a quick resolve and a registration waiver.

South Africa`s Higher Education Minister Naledi Pandor said they have negotiated with universities in the country to be lenient with Zimbabwean students who might miss their deadlines as a result of document delays.

“Regarding international students, in particular Zimbabwean students and visa delays, I am informed that there has been discussion with IEASA (International Education Association of South Africa) and Home Affairs and individual institutions to allow places to be kept open for students who have been affected by the delays in processing visas,” she said in a recent statement.

The delays in the processing of visas have been attributed to understaffing at the Harare embassy, with reports suggesting that the South African mission receives an average of 120 applications per day but there are three people tasked with processing them.

“This work is ongoing. I am also informed that the visa backlog is being addressed and many students have been able to enter the country. We are committed to assisting in addressing these matters with Departments of Home Affairs, International Relations and Cooperation, and universities, where possible,” Pandor said.

The Southern Times sent questions to South Africa`s Home Affairs Minister Siyabonga Cwele but he had not responded at the time of going to print.

SA universities have also given their assurances to students, on their registration deadlines and penalties.

University of Cape Town (UCT) Vice Chancellor Mamokgethi Phakeng met with student unions at their campus last week and addressed the Zimbabwean student issue.

A promise was made that Zimbabwean students will not face a late registration penalty when they register.

The institution later released a statement affirming her undertaking.

“The university recognises the deeply unfortunate and difficult situation faced by our Zimbabwean students – not only at UCT but other institutions across the country. The university, through the International Academic Programmes Office (IAPO) has been engaging the Department of Home Affairs on the matter as well,” read the statement.

UCT has provided a leeway for Zimbabwean students to register even in the absence of proof of payment.

“UCT has been allowing Zimbabwean students to register as long as they provide proof of transaction even without the money being cleared by financial institutions. Our Zimbabwean students also have the option of utilising UNESCO bonds, through which they make a payment to UNESCO and the money is later paid to UCT.

“UCT has also exempted all affected Zimbabwean students from incurring the late registration charges,” the university added.

Although they have tried to assist, the institutions are still cautious as there are chancers who may try to take advantage of the break from the usual bureaucratic systems.

“The university is addressing each situation on a case by case basis, being sensitive to the fact that different programmes would have different attendance requirements in order to ensure optimum success for the student,” the statement said.

Students have been organising themselves supplying lists to international offices at their various institutions as they wait for their documentation.

The Zimbabwean Government also added its voice to the issue, urging students to stay calm as the situation was being contained.

“Foreign Affairs intervened and they were given the visas. I think there were about 70 students who were affected but it is sorted now,” Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said.

There are many Zimbabwean students at South African universities and the recurring visa hiccups have been a cause for concern for a few years.

The Zimbabwe National Students Union South Africa Chapter, which has been at the forefront of lobbying for the extension of deadlines, says there are still loose ends which need to be tied.

Speaking to The Southern Times, Zinasu-SA representative, Tafadzwa Kwaramba, said most students whom applied for permits in January had their paperwork sorted.

“We have made considerable progress, many students who applied in December and January have managed to acquire their study permits and it appears the embassy ended up sending them to be processed in Pretoria where they presumably have manpower.

“However, we can safely say that the majority of students have acquired study permits through our efforts,” Kwaramba said.

He, however, said their concern is on students who applied for their visas late.

“However, a few questions remain on those who applied after the batches were sent to Pretoria for processing. We will only concur once we see results just as we saw them with the study permits. Right now we have students at the University of Johannesburg who have been denied registration and they have forfeited their spots as they were late for university due to getting permits late,” said Kwaramba.

“If pronouncements are being made at ministerial level, there needs to be compliance at implementation level. Zimbabwe students at UCT still can’t register because of the fee blocks and late release of money by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe,” he said.

Bank transfers are delaying from the Zimbabwean side, so South African financial institutions cannot clear tuition payments, yet international students need to have paid full amounts before the commencement of the semester.

Other universities like UCT have been accepting proof of deposit from the Zimbabwean side even before the money is cleared into the South African banking system.

However, there were reports that there were students at other institutions who were not enjoying the same clemency.

 

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email marketing@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: Leroy Dzenga via The Southern Times [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], Ross Sneddon [2], Priscilla Du Preez [3].

Andrew Stegmann

SA Elections: Upcoming Voter Registration Weekend; ID Collection Push; and Party Funding Source Bill Signed

2019 is a general election year in South Africa, with national and provincial elections set to take place, and three important recent announcements have been made in relation to elections in the country.

Voter registration weekend

The Electoral Commission of South Africa has announced that a final voter registration weekend will take place over 26 and 27 January.

The country’s 22 932 voting stations will open from 08h00 to 17h00 on Saturday 26 January and Sunday 27 January 2019 to allow first-time voters to register and existing voters to update and to check their registration details.
Currently there are 26.1 million registered voters on the national common voters’ roll and it is hoped that at least one million voters will be added to the voters’ roll ahead of the 2019 elections.

The Electoral Commission is also hopeful that voters who are already registered will use the opportunity to visit their voting station to check their registration and specifically to confirm and update their address details.
Registered voters can visit the Electoral Commission website (www.elections.org.za) to check their current registration details and voting station location.

They can also SMS their ID number to 32810 to receive an SMS containing their registration status and the address of their voting station (charged at R1).

Unregistered voters can insert their address in the Voting Station Finder application on the website (http://maps.elections.org.za/vsfinder/) to find their correct voting station or call the Contact Centre.

An online facility (www.elections.org.za/MyIEC) is also available for registered voters with access to the internet to update and review their address online.

Identity document collection

The Home Affairs Department has called on people who have applied for identity documents (IDs) to collect it, ahead of this weekend’s voter registration.

In the Western Cape alone, more than 23,000 people have not collected their IDs. Bellville and Cape Town branches are the highest with over 3,500 uncollected IDs each.

The department says it is extending its office hours at some of the offices. Spokesperson Siya Qoza explains, “Our offices will be open from 8 am until 5 pm over the weekend to assist as many people as possible who may need assistance. Our assistance will include handing out IDs and assisting people with temporary IDs so that they can register to vote”.

Political Party Funding Bill

It’s now law for political parties to reveal their private funding annually but it’s unlikely to come into effect before this year’s elections. The Presidency confirmed late on Tuesday night that President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed the Political Party Funding Bill into law, which was passed by the National Assembly late last year.

But the electoral commission has already indicated to Parliament that it will need at least six months to get the system functional. Lobby group My Vote Counts, which took the matter to court, says that the implementation of the bill will drastically enhance transparency and accountability in the country’s political and electoral system.

The new legislation repeals a 1997 Act to better regulate the public and private funding of political parties. It establishes a multi-party democracy fund that will fund all political parties from state coffers.

The new law will prohibit certain donations being made directly to political parties and compel them to disclose private donations to the electoral commission. Political parties will not be allowed to accept donations from foreign governments or agencies.

The African National Congress (ANC) has welcomed the law, saying it will deepen democracy and usher in a new culture of transparency. But My Vote Counts says that it is however regrettable that the law will not have an impact on this year’s elections and that the electorate will once again go to the polls without this crucial information.

The bill follows a June 2018 order by the Western Cape High Court to have Parliament make provision for political parties to publicly disclose private funding within 18 months. Judge Yasmin Meer stressed that there must be transparency about private political party funding. The Democratic Alliance (DA), South Africa’s opposition party, was the only party to oppose the application for the transparency bill.

 

 

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email marketing@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2], [3], [4]. Image sources: [1], [2].

Andrew Stegmann

SA Home Affairs White Paper to Clearly Set Out Mandate for First Time

The proposed white paper on home affairs will not change the mandate of the home affairs department, but for the first time its full mandate will be clearly set out, Home Affairs Minister Siyabonga Cwele said on Sunday.

“We are digging the foundations for a modern, secure, and professional home affairs. In this pursuit we invite interested persons and organisations to submit written comments to the white paper on home affairs by 18 February 2019,” he said at a media briefing in Pretoria.

The white paper sought to find sustainable solutions to the problems the department faced, including those relating to long queues, staff shortages, infrastructure, office space, connectivity, and networks, he said.

After consideration of these comments, a final draft white paper would be tabled to cabinet for approval. Once approved, the paper would represent a solid policy platform that would define the mandate of the department of home affairs and guide its legislation, strategy, and operations.

“The white paper does not change the mandate of home affairs, but for the first time its full mandate is clearly set out,” Cwele said.

The first mandate was to manage the official identity and status of persons. The current national population register was being replaced by a secure and fully inclusive national identity system (NIS) which would reflect key data related to identity, civic, and immigration status of all persons.

In a digital age, the NIS would be the backbone of a more integrated modern state that provided citizens and other clients fast access to efficient services. It would thus be a powerful enabler of inclusive economic development and would drastically reduce fraud and other related crimes.

The second mandate of the department was to manage international migration. The 2017 white paper on international migration had been incorporated into the policy framework and aimed to regulate international migration in South Africa’s national interest and in the interest of a better and safer world.

“Migration can be a powerful driver of domestic and regional development, but this requires a state that has efficient systems, professional staff, and the capacity to enforce its immigration laws,” Cwele said.

The third mandate was to manage asylum seekers and refugees. South Africa was committed to providing protection to persons who had a well-founded fear of persecution, as defined in the Refugees Act. This was a responsibility that should be shared with other countries, international bodies, and domestic stakeholders.

An implementation strategy and a broad road map were provided that showed how significant benefits could be progressively realised after the launch of a comprehensive repositioning programme, he said.

Over the next financial year (2019/ 2020) the strategic focus of the department would be on putting in place the enabling conditions for the launch of a full-scale repositioning programme. This would include detailed design and costing of a modern and secure home affairs department in consultation with all stakeholders and partners.

“The white paper details the main implementation phases of the repositioning programme. The envisioned end-state is the replacement of the old legacy model and its replacement with a world-class government department that is properly resourced,” Cwele said.

The White Paper is available here.

 

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email marketing@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].