Role players in the immigration industry have welcomed the Department of Home Affairs’ (DHA) Smart ID rollout for naturalised citizens and permanent residents who, up to now, had to rely on the outdated green bar-coded ID books – leaving them vulnerable to the risk of fraud.
The successful deployment of drones to help secure South Africa’s borders and curb illegal crossings over the Easter holiday stands as further testament to the Department of Home Affairs’ (DHA) vision of becoming a digital-first institution for enhanced service delivery and tackling pressing challenges through innovation.
It is well within the powers of the South African Revenue Services (SARS) to limit a taxpayer’s right to travel outside the Republic. A section in the Tax Administration Act (TAA) has a provision whereby a senior SARS official can even require for “the taxpayer to surrender his or her passport to SARS”.
Former home affairs director-general Dr Mavuso Msimang will chair a newly appointed immigration advisory board (IAB) to guide government policy. He recently led the Operation Vulindlela review of the visa system, was a co-founder of the African Parks Network and previously held senior positions in SA Tourism and the State IT Agency (Sita).
The Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Leon Schreiber announced a welcome and timeous reprieve to foreign nationals with pending waivers, long-term visas and appeal applications, submitted in South Africa to travel and remain in the country with specific conditions, just days before the current concession comes to an end.
