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Department overview | |
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Formed | 31 May 1910 |
Jurisdiction | Government of South Africa |
Headquarters | Hallmark Building, Corner of Johannes Ramokhoase & Thabo Sehume Street, Pretoria 25°44′38.22″S28°11′21.97″E / 25.7439500°S 28.1894361°E |
Employees | 9,375 (2009) |
Annual budget | R9,4 billion (2022/23) |
Ministers responsible |
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Department executive |
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Website | www |
The Department of Home Affairs is a department of the South African government.
The department is responsible for:[ citation needed ]
In the 2010 national budget, the department received an appropriation of 5,719.6 million rand, and had 9,375 employees. [1]
A report by the country's Public Service Commission found that the Department of Home Affairs accounted for 22 of the 260 financial misconduct cases for national departments in 2008/9. [2]
In May 2010 it was reported that the Department of Home Affairs had not paid its bill to the Government Printing Works, leading to a delay in the issuance of new passports, and that the department faced lawsuits from "people erroneously declared dead, people whom they failed to issue with identity documents and others arrested after their IDs were used in a fraudulent manner". [3] In the same year, the department was being sued for R 5 billion for various breaches of terms and contracts. [4]
There have been reports of corruption within Home Affairs. In February 2010 the department closed one of its Johannesburg offices due to corruption, [5] and in the same year, a number of officials and staff members appeared in court for alleged corruption and bribery. [6] [7] [8]
In January 2011 the department was criticised for its inefficiency, particularly in regard to processing documents. Eye Witness News reported that it would take two years to process visa requests from Zimbabwe citizens applying for work and study permits. [9] The Sowetan reported in January 2011 that a South African citizen has unsuccessfully tried to attain an identity document for four years. [10]
A passport is an official travel document issued by a government that certifies a person's identity and nationality for international travel. A passport allows its bearer to enter and temporarily reside in a foreign country, access local aid and protection, and obtain consular assistance from their government. In addition to facilitating travel, passports are a key mechanism for border security and regulating migration; they may also serve as official identification for various domestic purposes.
A visa is a conditional authorization granted by a polity to a foreigner that allows them to enter, remain within, or leave its territory. Visas typically include limits on the duration of the foreigner's stay, areas within the country they may enter, the dates they may enter, the number of permitted visits, or if the individual can work in the country in question. Visas are associated with the request for permission to enter a territory and thus are, in most countries, distinct from actual formal permission for an alien to enter and remain in the country. In each instance, a visa is subject to entry permission by an immigration official at the time of actual entry and can be revoked at any time. Visa evidence most commonly takes the form of a sticker endorsed in the applicant's passport or other travel document but may also exist electronically. Some countries no longer issue physical visa evidence, instead recording details only in immigration databases.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport is a passport issued only to permanent residents of Hong Kong who also hold Chinese citizenship. In accordance with the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, since the handover in 1997, the passport has been issued by the Immigration Department of the Government of Hong Kong under the authorisation of the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China. As the official languages of Hong Kong are Chinese and English, the passport is printed bilingually in both Chinese and English. In addition, unlike Chinese passport which can be issued by Chinese diplomatic missions abroad, the Immigration Department of Hong Kong is the only issuing authority for HKSAR passports.
An Irish passport is the passport issued to citizens of Ireland. An Irish passport enables the bearer to travel internationally and serves as evidence of Irish nationality and citizenship of the European Union. It also facilitates the access to consular assistance from both Irish embassies and any embassy from other European Union member states while abroad.
The World Passport is a fantasy travel document sold by the World Service Authority, a non-profit organization founded by Garry Davis in 1954.
The Malaysian passport is the passport issued to citizens of Malaysia by the Immigration Department of Malaysia. The main legislation governing the production of passports and travel documents, their possession by persons entering and leaving Malaysia, and related matters is the Passport Act 1966.
A South African passport is a travel document issued to citizens of South Africa for the purpose of international travel. It allows the bearer to travel in foreign countries in accordance with visa requirements, and facilitates the process of securing assistance from South African consular officials abroad, if necessary. A South African passport is a valid proof of citizenship document according to South African nationality law. As of February 2024, citizens of South Africa enjoyed visa-free access to 108 countries, of which some may require pre-travel registration according to the Visa Restrictions Index.
Jacob "Jackie" Sello Selebi was the National Commissioner of the South African Police Service from January 2000 to January 2008, when he was put on extended leave and charged with corruption. He was also a former President of African National Congress Youth League, South African ambassador to the United Nations from 1995 to 1998, and President of Interpol from 2004 to 2008. Selebi was found guilty of corruption on 2 July 2010 and sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment on 3 August 2010. However, he was released on medical parole in July 2012, after serving less than a year of his sentence, and lived at home until his death on 23 January 2015.
Serbian passport is the primary document of international travel issued to nationals of Serbia. Passports are issued and renewed by the Serbian Police on behalf of the Ministry of Internal Affairs or, if the citizen resides abroad, by the Serbian diplomatic missions. Besides serving as proof of identity and of citizenship, it facilitates the process of securing assistance from Serbian consular officials abroad, if needed.
New Zealand passports are issued to New Zealand citizens for the purpose of international travel by the Department of Internal Affairs. New Zealand has a passport possession rate of around 70% of the population and there are around 2.9 million New Zealand passports in circulation.
The Somali passport is a passport issued to citizens of Somalia for international travel. Green Passports were formerly used, which have since been replaced with biometric passports to ensure authenticity. The passports are regulated by the federal government of Somalia.
The passport of Kosovo is a travel document that is issued by the Interior Ministry of Kosovo to the citizens of Kosovo to enable them to travel abroad. The passports are also used as proof of identity within the country, along with the national identity card.
Visa requirements for Hungarian citizens are administrative entry restrictions imposed on citizens of Hungary by the authorities of other states.
Visa requirements for Emirati citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Visa requirements for Tuvaluan citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Tuvalu. As of 20 December 2020, Tuvaluan citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 127 countries and territories, ranking the Tuvaluan passport 45th in terms of travel freedom according to the Henley Passport Index.
The Vanuatu passport is an international travel document issued to Vanuatu citizens.
Visa requirements for Tongan citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Tonga. As of 2 July 2019, Tongan citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 123 countries and territories, ranking the Tongan passport 46th in terms of travel freedom according to the Henley Passport Index.
The visa policy of South Africa is how the South African government determines who may and may not enter South Africa. Visitors to South Africa must obtain a visa from one of the South African diplomatic missions unless they come from one of the visa-exempt countries, in which case they get a "Port of Entry Visa". Visitors who require a visa must apply in person and provide biometric data.
Visa requirements for Zimbabwean citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Zimbabwe. As of 2 July 2019, Zimbabwean citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 64 countries and territories, ranking the Zimbabwean passport 80th in terms of travel freedom according to the Henley Passport Index.
Visa requirements for crew members are administrative entry restrictions imposed by countries on members of a ship or aircraft crew during transit.