Articles

Motsoaledi calls Home Affairs, Bosasa deal ’stupid’

`It was a stupid deal between Home Affairs officials for the past number of years with Bosasa whereby the facility can carry 4 000, but it was agreed that when the payments are made, there must be a minimum whereby the Department of Home Affairs could pay 2 500 people,` he said.
He said they have removed that clause in the present bid.
`As to whether it was done as a matter of corruption, it was an agreement and it has been signed. We believe it is a stupid one,` Motsoaledi said.
The minister also said the R100 million allocated to purchase the Lindela Repatriation Centre has not been spent yet.
`What happened is that an amount of R73m is held in a trust at the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure because this is the amount pledged to buy the Lindela facility on auction that has taken place sometime early this year before Covid-19,` he said.
Motsoaledi said there was a court case which reversed the sale of facilities of Bosasa on auction and that the facilities could not be sold. He said the department was still using the facility.
`We pay rent to whoever is in charge of it. At the moment it is the liquidator.`
Motsoaledi also said they were finalising a bid process for service providers for food, health and security services regardless of whoever owned the property.
He said he did not know when the bidding process would be finalised, but it started sometime in August.
Asked about building capacity in order to provide services to the facility, Motsoaledi said they were security, which they presently don`t have the capacity to provide.
Regarding moving towards ensuring cost-efficiency instead of having to rent, the minister said it was his wish that the department`s buildings were state-owned.
He said they had attempted to get a government building to replace the Lindela Repatriation Centre but could not find any.
`I have approached the head of infrastructure in the Presidency to look at this issue about us building our own offices with state money and owning them like hospitals, clinics or police stations.
`That process is on,` Motsoaledi said.
www.samigration.com V.5376

To foil foreigners, govt wants to ‘reregister’ every SA child when they turn five

To foil foreigners, govt wants to ‘reregister’ every SA child when they turn five • Foreigners buy the birth certificates of dead SA children to gain South African citizenship, the department of home affairs says. • To prevent that, it is considering `reregistration` of children at age five, and capturing fingerprints and photos of the iris then. V.5432

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EXPLAINER - Should you panic about WhatsApp`s new terms â€` and what`s the deal with Telegram and Signal?

Social media app WhatsApp has sparked an outcry among users with its proposed new terms and privacy policy. Ahmore Burger-Smidt, Director and Head of Data Privacy Practice and Dale Adams, Associate Designate at Werksmans Attorneys unpack the terms. V.5445

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Signal won`t replace WhatsApp, people will use both, says a cofounder of one and leader of the other

The encrypted messaging service Signal won`t replace WhatsApp, Brian Acton, the executive chairman of the Signal Foundation and cofounder of WhatsApp, predicted. V.5446

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South African Business Visa

A business visa may be issued by the Department of Home Affairs to a foreigner intending to establish or invest in a business in South Africa in which he or she may be employed, and to members of such foreigners’ immediate family providing that certain requirements have been met. V.5439

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South Africa Citizenship Options

South African Citizen by Descent: Anybody who was born outside of South Africa to a South African citizen. His or her birth has to be registered in line with the births and deaths registration act 51 of 1992. V.5440

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South African Retirement Visa

A retirement visa can be granted for 4 years to someone with a monthly pension, irrevocable annuity or retirement account of R37 000 from a net worth/combination of assets realizing R37 000 per month and wishes to retire temporarily or permanently in South Africa. V.5441

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Relatives Visa

A Relative`s Visa may be issued by the Department to a foreigner who is a member of the immediate family of a citizen or a resident, providing that such citizen or resident provides the prescribed financial assurances. V.5442

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SA just extended all visas again, which now makes for a year of extra time

The latest visa extension brings the total amount of leeway afforded to foreigners since the beginning of the outbreak to more than 12 months. • Foreigners who have been unable to leave South Africa due to lockdown measures will now have their visas automatically extended to 31 March 2021. V.5443

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Beitbridge border: Fake COVID-19 certificates found

The SANDF will be deploying helicopters to hover above the Limpopo River and SAPS will be in boats. This is according to the Home Affairs Minister. eNCA`s senior reporter Aviwe Mtila was there and filed this report. V.5437

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Beitbridge border: Fake COVID-19 certificates found

JOHANNESBURG - Home Affairs Minister, Aaron Motsoaledi, says travellers using fake COVID-19 test certificates will face the full might of the law after 17 fake certificates were discovered. V.5434

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Zimbabwe reverts to hard lockdown measures amid COVID-19 surge

Zimbabwe reverts to hard lockdown measures amid COVID-19 surge Zimbabwe reverted to some of the stringent lockdown measures first imposed in March 2020 as the government moved to contain a surge in COVID-19 infections. Announcing the measur V.5433

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To foil foreigners, govt wants to ‘reregister’ every SA child when they turn five

• Foreigners buy the birth certificates of dead SA children to gain South African citizenship, the department of home affairs says. • To prevent that, it is considering `reregistration` of children at age five, and capturing fingerprints and photos of the iris then. V.5435

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Zimbabwe reverts to hard lockdown measures amid COVID-19 surge

Zimbabwe reverted to some of the stringent lockdown measures first imposed in March 2020 as the government moved to contain a surge in COVID-19 infections. V.5436

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Beitbridge border: Motsoaledi says army makes over 500 arrests daily

At least 500 undocumented Zimbabweans are being arrested daily, trying to enter the country illegally. That`s according to Home Affairs Minister, Aaron Motsoaledi. V.5438

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Here are the ways you can gain citizenship in these 7 countries

There are many benefits to having dual citizenship, including greater global mobility, economic opportunities, better quality of life and improved personal security, However, acquiring second citizenship can be a lengthy process as residence in the country is usually a requirement. Business owners and private investors looking to gain an alternative nationality often turn to investment migration because it is quick and generally hassle-free, Woest said. These citizenship V.5423

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Dlamini-Zuma: No changes on international travel, initiation schools to close

JOHANNESBURG - Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma on Tuesday said that international travel has not changed under the country’s level 3 lockdown. Briefing the media, the minister said the 18 land borders, which were partially operational, would be fully operational. V.5427

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Foreigners flying into SA get a curfew break â€` but you’ll need to have your papers handy

• Passengers on inbound flights into South Africa don’t have to worry about the 21:00 to 06:00 curfew. • These travellers will not be breaking the law in travelling from the airport to their place of accommodation, government says. V.5430

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Statement by President Cyril Ramaphosa on progress in the national effort to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fellow South Africans, In just four days from now, we will be ushering in a new year. This is traditionally a time of festivity and celebrating. Unfortunately, for us here in South Africa and for others around the world, there is little cause for celebration this year. Yesterday, we passed the mark of more than one million confirmed coronavirus cases in our country. Nearly 27,000 South Africans are known to have died from COVID-19. The number of new coronavirus infections is climbing at an unprecedented rate. More than 50,000 new cases have been reported since Christmas Eve. V.5418

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Statement by President Cyril Ramaphosa on progress in the national effort to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fellow South Africans, In just four days from now, we will be ushering in a new year. This is traditionally a time of festivity and celebrating. Unfortunately, for us here in South Africa and for others around the world, there is little cause for celebration this year. V.5424

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Beitbridge border post bottleneck cleared, says home affairs

The chronic traffic congestion at Beitbridge border post has been cleared, says the department of home affairs. V.5420

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