The Minister and Director-General of Home Affairs will abide by the ConCourt`s decision.The Democratic Alliance (DA) says the South African citizenship for individuals who lost it after obtaining citizenship in another country should be reinstated.One such case involves Philip James Plaatjies, who lost his South African citizenship in 2007 after becoming a naturalised citizen of the United Kingdom (UK), following his marriage to a British woman three years prior.Unaware of the consequences, Plaatjies was affected by Section 6(1)(a) of the Citizenship Act, which states that South Africans automatically forfeit their citizenship if they voluntarily and formally acquire citizenship of another country.According to Section 6(2) of the Act, individuals must apply to the Minister of Home Affairs to retain their South African citizenship before obtaining foreign citizenship.DA challenges Citizenship ActPlaatjies’ pursuit of dual citizenship led the DA to challenge the constitutionality of Section 6(1)(a) of the Citizenship Act.In 2018, the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria ruled against the DA, but the party appealed successfully to the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA). The SCA, in its June 2023 judgment, declared the provision unconstitutional and irrational, reasoning that it arbitrarily strips citizenship from individuals who obtain a second nationality, without serving any legitimate governmental purpose.The appellant court also found the section irrationally discriminates between individuals who automatically gain dual citizenship and those who formally apply for it, creating arbitrary divisions without legal justification.The DA now seeks confirmation of the SCA’s ruling from the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) and to restore citizenship to those affected by the section. The Minister and Director-General of Home Affairs, named as respondents, are not opposing the DA’s application and will abide by the ConCourt’s decision.DA seeks retrospective order on Citizenship

ActDuring Tuesday’s proceedings, Advocate Anton Katz, representing the DA, informed the ConCourt that the party was seeking a retrospective order, taking effect either to the Citizenship Act’s enactment in 1995 or to the implementation of the Constitution in 1997.“Bearing in mind, the respondents have put up no evidence to suggest that an order should not be held to be retrospective or that the order should be suspended,” the lawyer said.The advocate argued that the relief sought by the DA was “appropriate”.“We submit that’s the order that the DA is entitled to and we ask that the court make those order.”In its written submissions to the ConCourt, the DA has also requested that the Minister and Director-General of Home Affairs be ordered to cover the legal costs.Watch the proceedings below:Reinstatement of South African citizenshipMeanwhile, Katz argued that Section 6(1)(A) served no legitimate purpose, especially given the existence of Section 7, which already addresses the “renunciation of citizenship”.“Not only did the respondents not put up any rationale for the purpose of Section 6(1)(A), but there is no purpose objectively.“One scratches one’s head when one thinks of what the purpose of the section is when one sees Section 7 exists to provide for the kinds of scenarios that the respondents argued for in the high court and the SCA,” he told the ConCourt.He further contended that Home Affairs in revoking Plaatjies’ citizenship “got it wrong”.“He shouldn’t have lost his citizenship. As a matter of law he didn’t but the respondents took the view that he had. “Whatever they did with his passport or citizenship is something that is a question of law and it needs to be overturned,” Katz said.The judgment in the case was reserved. V.5686

Diaspora remittances by Kenyans living and working in South Africa have posted a recovery after years of subdued performance in the post-pandemic period largely on difficulties in getting work permits for skilled workers despite a visa-free deal between the two countries.Yes, the amount of money sent home by Kenyans in South Africa has increased despite difficulties with work permits: Remittances are up V.5692
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The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) Counter Corruption and Security Services branch has busted various individuals, including the kingpin of a syndicate that helped businesses bring in illegal foreign nationals on forged documents.Thirty-four individuals have been dismissed from the department, of which 13 have been sentenced. Depending on their level of involvement, those convicted face jail time ranging from four to 26 years.This was revealed in the DHA Counter Corruption and Security Services branchs presentation to the Portfolio Committee of Home Affairs on Tuesday, 29 October 2024.The branch said it employed a multi-disciplinary approach to catch those involved in the syndicate after a whistle-blower informed it about foreign nationals getting South African passports through photo swap fraud. V.5693
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Germany and Somalia reached an agreement to deport undocumented Somali nationals from Germany.The German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, said migrants without the right to stay in Germany would be repatriated quickly and effectively.At present, 65,000 Somalis live in Germany.The leaders of Germany and Somalia have agreed to step up the repatriation of undocumented Somalis in Germany. V.5690
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Only an immigration officer may arrest a person deemed an illegal foreignerThe process of deporting illegal foreigners in South Africa is governed by the Immigration Act which empowers the home affairs department to arrest, detain and deport people who are not entitled to stay in the country. Home affairs minister Leon Schreiber, in a reply to a parliamentary question, said the department spent close to R53m between April and August to deport 19,750 illegal foreigners.The Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town, a nonprofit organisation which helps migrant communities and displaced people, details the process which must take place after someone has been found to be illegally in the country. V.5691
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On Tuesday, the Constitutional Court heard arguments from the DA that sought to confirm a ruling by the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) that the government cannot remove someone’s citizenship simply because they are also a citizen of another country.The roots of this case go back more than a decade. The Home Affairs Ministry, currently headed by the DA’s Leon Schreiber, did not argue in the case, but simply said in court it would abide by its decision. This followed an earlier decision by his predecessor, the ANC’s Dr Aaron Motsoaledi. While he had first opposed the case, before the election this year, he had said publicly he would not oppose the ratification of the SCA’s judgment by the Constitutional Court.Legally, one of the questions at the heart of the case is whether the minister of Home Affairs has the power to make a decision that is so important to a person’s life. V.5689
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The tourism sector remains a cornerstone of the South African economy, driving economic growth and job creation. While various provinces are vying for the title of South Africas top tourist destination, Gauteng has consistently emerged as the popular choice for both domestic and international visitors.In a recent parliamentary response to the DAs Haseena Ismail, Tourism minister Patricia de Lille unpacked some of the key figures in the countrys critical sector since 2022.According to the minister, of the approximately ~5.7 million international tourists that visited South Africa between January and December of 2022, 2.3 million visited Gauteng, followed by Mpumalanga at 1.2 million and the Western Cape at 0.9 million. V.5688
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They are facing charges of contravening various sections of the Immigration Act.Two men accused of producing fake home affairs documents have been released on bail.Khalid Hoosen, 58, and Sirajbhai Isiyailbhai Patel, 56, made their second appearance in the Durban Magistrates Court in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) on Tuesday.National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said they are facing charges of contravening various sections of the Immigration Act, 2002 (Act No.13 of 2002). V.5683
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CEO Alinah Fosi said the poor state of the 50-year-old building made it difficult to install state of the art machinery and its needing to outsource information technology help to get systems up to scratch.CAPE TOWN - Much of the ineffectiveness of government`s printing works has been blamed on the Department of Public Works and SITA, governments information technology agency.Following a surprise visit recently by Parliament`s Home Affairs committee, the printing works was again before the House on Tuesday, to provide a progress report on how it’s implementing recommendations to turn around operations. V.5684
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The reinstatement of the plan to offer early retirement to senior civil servants as part of a broader strategy to reduce the nations high public sector wage bill has been met with mixed reactions with critics arguing that it will result in a brain drain in the countrys civil service.The medium-term budget policy statement (MTBPS) tabled by finance minister Enoch Godongwana on 30 October noted that the government was proposing to reactivate early retirement without penalties in 2025/26 and 2026/27 in a bid to further contain public service wage costs amid a deteriorating fiscus.To support this initiative, an additional R11 billion will be allocated over the next two fiscal years. Details will be set out in the 2025 Budget, stated the budget documents.The MTBPS highlighted that the public sector wage bill represents the governments most substantial financial challenge. V.5685
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Supporters of former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump celebrate as Fox News declares him the next President of the United States during an election night event at the West Palm Beach Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, early on 6 November 2024Jim Watson/AFP Donald Trump will be sworn in as America`s 47th president in January, projections now show.With Georgia and North Carolina won for Trump, Fox News first called the election for him.Trump has promised big changes in America, and in its place in the world, with significant implications for South Africa. V.5687
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