The South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg has granted an unemployed woman permission to relocate to Australia with her children where she got a job. An unemployed woman has been granted permission to relocate to Australia with her two children, where she has secured a job, following her ex-husband`s refusal to allow them to leave the country. She sought relief from the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg after her ex-husband declined to sign the consent forms needed for her to apply for visas for herself and their children.The former couple married in November 2017 and divorced in April 2023.Sometime in 2022, before their divorce was finalised, the mother told the father that she wishes to relocate to Australia for socio-economic reasons.She is a quantity surveyor who holds a BSC Honours Degree in Quantity Surveying, a BCOM Accounting Degree, a Post Graduate Diploma in Management Accounts and a Property Development Certificate. In July 2023, she obtained a job offer to start work in Melbourne in February 2024, she got the offer whilst still working at Enigma, a property development company where she was a development manager.She informed the father of her children about this and mentioned that Enigma was effecting pay reduction, retrenchment processes due to declining economic circumstances. At the beginning of April 2024, she was notified that she would be retrenched from Enigma and she received her retrenchment package end of July 2024.According to court papers, her new position as a quantity surveyor in Australia, will offer her 110 000 AUD per annum (over R1.3 million).She said the company, Switch Design, initially indicated that she would be required to commence her employment on July 1, 2024. However, they changed that to January 13, 2025.She further added that she already has a place in Australia, where she will be living in Melbourne with her

fiancé, who has a house and has been living there for the past 11 years. They have been in a relationship since 2022 but have known each other even before that.She said she already found the best schools for the children and has established that there is pre-school for her youngest which is located 650 metres away from the house and her eldest will be at a primary school which 400 metres away from their home.In his reply, the former husband opposed her application, saying moving the children will disrupt their current arrangements with him and his extended family. He said it was crucial that he fosters the children’s growth and development in areas such as physical and emotional security, intellectual development, emotional development, social development, cultural development, the provision of unconditional love, supportive relationships, stability and consistency, emotional guidance, role modelling, encouragement and empowerment. Judge Thifhelimbilu Mudau heard the matter and noted that the father failed to file heads of argument consistent with the practice directives of the high court.The respondent (father) has not filed his heads of argument despite having been called upon to do so by the applicant (mother)... In so doing, the respondent clearly showed a contemptuous disregard for his opponents rights in this regard. This court in the excise of its discretion was at liberty, to show its disapproval of the respondents conduct, said the Judge Mudau.As a result, judge Mudau ruled in favour of the mother and said she doesnt need consent from the father to travel with the children.He said the children can visit their father during school holiday and he is also allowed to contact them on the phone. V.5651

The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) is cracking down on corruption within its ranks and finalised 31 disciplinary cases between July and September 2024, some of which resulted in criminal prosecution and dismissal.One such individual, Mogale Raseone is set to have his trial start on 6 November. He is facing charges of fraud after being dismissed from the DHA in 2023 for manipulating department systems to fraudulently administer immigration for foreign nationals V.5655
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South Africa may be its own worst enemy when dealing with foreign nationals, says an ActionSA parliamentarian.Lerato Ngobeni held a series of oversight visits last week, with a keen focus on the Department of Home Affairs.In showcasing the successes of their first 100 days in parliament, Ngobeni gave an update on her observations from the previous year. V.5654
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Cape Town comes out tops in Long Haul Holiday Report 2024Cape Town has reclaimed its position as the best-value long haul destination for British tourists, according to the 2024 Long Haul Holiday Report from Post Office.Every year, the Post Office Travel Money Long Haul Holiday Report highlights the top destinations where UK travellers can get the best value for their money.They researched 32 faraway destinations worldwide and compared the costs of common holiday items like a cup of coffee, a bottle of water, and a three-course meal for two to find out which destinations offer the best value for money. V.5652
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Eight of these cases came from the Free State, while six came from KwaZulu-Natal. Between July and September 2024, the Department of Home Affairs finalised 31 disciplinary cases against its officials.According to spokesperson Siya Qoza, the disciplinary cases resulted in a range of sanctions. These include criminal prosecution, dismissal, suspension without pay and final written warnings. The officials faced transgressions relating to irregular recruitment, violation of the Citizenship Act and the violation of the Immigration Act. Eight of these cases came from the Free State, while six came from KwaZulu-Natal. Home Affairs officials nabbedOne of the includes that of an official who failed to abide by the required standards of ethical conduct. His trial is set to start on 6 November, facing fraud charges. The official was dismissed from the department last year after the conclusion of disciplinary processes. V.5653
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The Citizen tried Home Affairs services on wheels and found it to be disorganised. Residents have been using the mobile services provided by the Home Affairs trucks. Temperatures were soaring, with no chairs in sight and a long line ahead. This was the experience of a reporter when they lined up to try Home Affairs mobile services. The outreach programme sends trucks to areas to help make the department’s services more accessible to residents who find it difficult to reach their offices. V.5648
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The BMA has confirmed the new switch-over system, installed to expedite data capture and to prevent future disruptions.The glitches that recently interrupted the flow of international flights at the King Shaka International Airport (KSIA) in KwaZulu-Natal have been sorted out, according to Mmemme Mogotsi, the deputy assistant commissioner for communications and marketing at the Border Management Authority (BMA). V.5649
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The Groblersbrug bridge across the Limpopo River is too narrow, many say, to handle the high volumes of traffic into Botswana. Source: SA Truckerorder transporters are waiting up to three days to pass through South Africas Groblersbrug border into Botswana because of a double whammy ` a new biometrics system implemented by the Border Management Authority (BMA), and ongoing barriers to entry at Beitbridge.Mike Fitzmaurice of the Transit Assistance Bureau explained that the BMA had implemented a new system whereby the biometrics of everyone, travellers and truck drivers alike, were recorded by immigration officials. Although it only takes about 15 minutes, the problem at Groblersbrug is there are only four immigration officers on duty during each shift.Compounding matters are existing impediments at Beitbridge forcing long-distance hauliers serving mines in the Copperbelt to drive around Zimbabwe.Unfortunately, Groblersbrug cant cope with the volume of traffic. V.5650
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Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber has gazetted far-reaching reforms for South Africa’s visa regime.The gazetting of the Remote Work Visitor Visa and the new Points-Based System for Work Visas on 9 October is said to remove bureaucratic hurdles which have hampered South Africa’s visa regime.Schreiber said that the “fit-for-purpose and market-friendly reforms would reposition South Africa as a world-class destination for investment and tourism to create thousands of new jobs. V.5642
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Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber has gazetted far-reaching reforms for South Africa’s visa regime.The gazetting of the Remote Work Visitor Visa and the new Points-Based System for Work Visas on 9 October is said to remove bureaucratic hurdles which have hampered South Africa’s visa regime.Schreiber said that the “fit-for-purpose and market-friendly reforms would reposition South Africa as a world-class destination for investment and tourism to create thousands of new jobs. V.5643
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Many of those who sought work in South Africa have been deported back to a country in dire financial straitsCollins Kamoto was heading out for a drink with a friend on a Sunday evening in May in the small gold mining town of Nigel, south-east of Johannesburg, when they were stopped by the police and arrested.A month later, the 46-year-old, who had been in South Africa since March 2023, was charged with not having proper documentation. Then in September, after four months in jail, he was deported back to Malawi, part of what many of his compatriots believe is a renewed crackdown by South African authorities on immigrants working there illegally. V.5644
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