Bad news about green ID books in South Africa


Home affairs minister Leon Schreiber says that "severe IT constraints" prevent his department from issuing smart ID cards to naturalised citizens and permanent residents.
This is holding back the project to declare South Africa's old and insecure green ID books invalid, as Home Affairs can't invalidate the venerable ID book until everyone can obtain a replacement smart ID card.

Besides the cost of operating two different ID printing systems, South Africa wants to eliminate the green ID book because it has become an immense source of ID fraud.

Smile ID's 2025 Digital Identity Fraud in Africa report revealed that fraud rates for South Africa's green ID book were 500% higher than for smart IDs. The firm said the green ID book is historically vulnerable due to weak security features.
Last year, Smile ID's 2024 Digital Identity Fraud report showed that the green ID book was the most targeted in Africa for fraud, including using stolen identities to open bank accounts and apply for welfare.
Smile ID said fraudsters regularly targeted national IDs because they were the most common form of government identification and mandatory for most adults.

In a recent written Parliamentary question, ACDP MP Wayne Thring asked Schreiber why naturalised citizens were currently ineligible for smart IDs, and what was being done about it.
"Home Affairs is acutely aware of, and regrets, the insecurity and distress this issue is causing," Schreiber stated.
"Since assuming office, I have directed that work be sped up to enable all qualifying persons to obtain the more secure smart ID cards," he continued.

"However, severe IT constraints have emerged as a major obstacle in this regard, and urgent work is ongoing to resolve the challenges."
Schreiber said failures by their current IT service provider is holding back Home Affairs' ability to deliver the required changes to allow naturalised citizens and permanent residents to obtain smart IDs.

"This is being addressed with the necessary urgency," he assured.
"While work is being done to expand access to all through IT system changes, the department does assist naturalised citizens with smart ID cards through invitations to prospective applicants," Schreiber explained.
"However, the process entails a manual verification process that limits access. The issue is receiving top priority."

The SITA problem
Although Schreiber did not name the State Information Technology Agency (SITA) in his latest Parliamentary response, the minister has not minced words in his past criticism of the state-owned company.
During his speech responding to President Cyril Ramaphosa's State of the Nation Address, Schreiber said that SITA's monopoly was suffocating technological innovation.

"We welcome the president's embrace of digital transformation in his State of the Nation Address, but this must include urgent regulatory reform to the monopoly held by SITA," he said.
This came after Schreiber previously described SITA as an "artificial construct that stands squarely in the way of technological progress".
"The model of imposing a state monopoly over digital technologies is simply not fit for purpose in the digital age," he said.
Schreiber also said criticising and blaming Home Affairs for IT failures was unfair.
"Even as we move with urgency to reform technological aspects under our control, our efforts will fall short for as long as we cannot maintain, procure and properly manage our own IT infrastructure," he said.

Schreiber's predecessor, Aaron Motsoaledi, had a similar run-in with SITA over issues at Home Affairs sites in 2022.
SITA hit back at Schreiber's criticism with the same explanation it gave in response to Motsoaledi's years ago. It says Home Affairs experiences system downtime because it chose the cheapest packages with the lowest service level agreements.
However, Home Affairs said it couldn't afford SITA's more expensive gold- or platinum-level support packages.

Home Affairs digital revolution
While Home Affairs is working to address its IT problems, Schreiber said he would also dramatically expand the eHomeAffairs programme this year.
eHomeAffairs is the department's partnership with banks that allows citizens to apply for and collect their smart IDs and passports from participating bank branches.

Schreiber explained that the partnership has been limited to around 30 bank branches around the country for almost a decade.
"This must become hundreds if not thousands of bank branches. I want every village, town, city, and suburb in South Africa to have access to Home Affairs services in a local bank branch," said Schreiber.
"I believe this will reduce the pressure on our offices and alleviate the long queues. Not to mention greatly expanding our footprint."
Schreiber said another goal for 2025 is for documents to introduce a delivery option for documents.
"It is already accepted practice that if you order a new bank card, it gets delivered to your home or office for a fee," he said.
In addition to making Home Affairs' services more convenient to access, Schreiber said he wanted to use technology to further combat fraud and identity theft.

Schreiber said any process that allows or requires human intervention opens the door for fraud.
"It is only possible for someone to steal an ID number or engage in fraudulent activity like swopping out photos because the system has gaps that allow for human intervention," he previously told the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs.

"Until such time as Home Affairs has been transformed into a digital-first department, these abuses will keep happening."
He also said that digitally transforming Home Affairs has been accompanied by cracking down on individuals perpetrating fraud in the department.
Schreiber said there had been dozens of disciplinary cases and arrests in the past year, ensuring that people there are consequences for defrauding the system.

"Instances like these - and potentially much worse - will keep happening for as long as Home Affairs processes are manual, paper-based, and vulnerable to human discretion," he said.

Police arrest four men for impersonating Home Affairs officials and extorting R5,000


Mpumalanga police in Carolina arrested four male suspects, aged between 35 and 51, for allegedly impersonating Home Affairs officials as well as for staging a common robbery.

The suspects were nabbed on Monday, February 3, 2025.
Mpumalanga police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Jabu Ndubane said a foreign national businessman contacted police complaining about four men who arrived at his shop and produced identification cards claiming that they were Home Affairs officials.
"It is further reported that these men were conducting a so-called operation, checking for expired goods. It was during this time that when these men reportedly forced the businessman to pay R5,000 to evade being charged."

Ndubane said after the report, police began searching for four men around Carolina and they eventually cornered the suspects in one of the shops, allegedly conducting similar fraudulent activities.
"Upon investigation, it was realised that these men were not genuine Home Affairs officials, and this warranted their immediate arrest hence they were apprehended as well as charged accordingly. During their arrest, an amount of R5,000 was found in their possession and the cash was confiscated and it will form part of the police investigation," Ndubane added.

Ndubane said police also searched a car that was allegedly used by the suspects during the commission of crime and inside the car, police found number plates, a camera, as well as identification cards.

"Police investigators are working in collaboration with officials from the Department of Home Affairs to ascertain the status and nationalities of the arrested suspects."
The suspects are expected to appear at the Carolina Magistrate's Court on Wednesday.

Strip Musk of his SA citizenship? Home Affairs minister has a message for Malema instead



Leon Schreiber addressed what he perceived as an underlying political motive.
Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber has accused Julius Malema of hiding behind him after the EFF leader's "hateful and violent rhetoric" directed at certain segments of South African society.

The accusation came in Schreiber's parliamentary response to a question from EFF MP Thapelo Mogale regarding the citizenship status of several high-profile individuals, including tech billionaire Elon Musk.
Musk was born in the South Africa but moved to North America in the late 1980s.

EFF citizenship status question to Schreiber
Mogale asked whether Elon Musk, Deon Barnard, Peter Andreas Thiel, and David Oliver Sacks hold South African citizenship.
He further inquired if the minister would consider revoking their citizenship under section 8(2)(b) of the South African Citizenship Act, given their alleged connections to U.S. President Donald Trump, their funding of his presidential campaign, and their supposed contribution to diplomatic tensions between South Africa and the United States.

In his response, Schreiber explained that such information falls under the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) and the Protection of Personal Information Act (Popia).
"As part of such request, the Department requires the provision of the full personal particulars, including the identity number, alternatively the date of birth, of the person in question, in order to determine the citizen status of any individual holding South African citizenship or granted citizenship through the naturalisation process," Schreiber stated.

Schreiber alleges political motivation
The minister then directly addressed what he perceived as the underlying political motivation behind Mogale's question.
"As I have indicated in response to similar previous requests, the Department of Home Affairs will not weaponise the law to pursue political ends. Instead of being based on politics, our decisions are informed by the requirements of the Constitution, the rule of law, rationality, and just administrative action," Schreiber declared.

He went further, suggesting that the question was prompted by concerns over potential repercussions facing Malema.
"It furthermore appears that the Honourable Member was motivated to submit this particular question out of fear for the repercussions that his party leader may soon face for the years of hateful and violent rhetoric he has directed at certain segments of our society."
Schreiber advised that rather than "seeking to cower behind the Minister of Home Affairs in an ill-fated attempt to escape from the possible consequences of his actions," Malema should "apologise for his inflammatory and divisive rhetoric, and to meaningfully commit to a programme of restitution and nation building."

Ongoing Musk-Malema feud
While not explicitly confirmed in Schreiber's response, his comments appear to reference the ongoing public feud between Musk and Malema.
The tech billionaire recently called for Malema to be declared an international criminal and has repeatedly claimed, without evidence, that a genocide is occurring in South Africa.

Musk previously alleged that Malema was "calling for the genocide of the four million whites living in South Africa" and would likely become the country's leader "in a few months."
In 2023, Musk criticised Malema for chanting "kill the Boer" during the EFF's 10th birthday celebration.
The Tesla CEO has been an outspoken critic of South African politics, particularly expressing outrage over the recently-signed Expropriation Act.

Malema's response
In response to Musk's criticisms, Malema has remained defiant.
During their recent exchange, the EFF leader stated he was not intimidated by calls for sanctions against him.
"I really think you have entirely lost your left brain: a typical spoiled brat and direct beneficiary of Apartheid whiteness," Malema responded to Musk.

"I don't care about your sanctions; I will never stop fighting for black people to be equal to white people, and if that makes me an international criminal, I am proud to be one," he added.

US, UK, Canada, and Australia revise study visa rules: What Indian students need to know for 2025



Students looking to study abroad in 2025 are facing a changing landscape as major destinations like the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and Germany introduce new visa and work permit rules. While these countries remain top choices for Indian students, tighter regulations on study permits, post-graduation work opportunities, and financial requirements are influencing decision-making.

Country-wise visa and work policy changes
Canada: Stricter study permit rules, but more work hours
- Canada is reducing the number of study permits issued in 2025.
- The Student Direct Stream (SDS), a fast-track visa processing system, has been discontinued.
- Post-study work visa now requires language proficiency tests.
- Work hour limit increased from 20 to 24 hours per week.

UK: Decline in Indian student enrollments amid visa restrictions
- A 23% drop in Indian student enrollments due to dependent visa restrictions.
- Tuition fees increased by £285, now at £9,535.
- The Graduate Route visa remains, allowing two years of post-study work (three years for PhD graduates).
Australia: Tougher financial and language requirements

Country-wise visa and work policy changes
Canada: Stricter study permit rules, but more work hours
- Canada is reducing the number of study permits issued in 2025.
- The Student Direct Stream (SDS), a fast-track visa processing system, has been discontinued.
- Post-study work visa now requires language proficiency tests.
- Work hour limit increased from 20 to 24 hours per week.

UK: Decline in Indian student enrollments amid visa restrictions
- A 23% drop in Indian student enrollments due to dependent visa restrictions.
- Tuition fees increased by £285, now at £9,535.
- The Graduate Route visa remains, allowing two years of post-study work (three years for PhD graduates).

Australia: Tougher financial and language requirements
- Proposal to cap international student intake at 270,000 remains under discussion.
- New financial proof requirement: A$29,710.
- Higher English language proficiency standards introduced.
- Temporary Graduate Visa (subclass 485) still offers up to six years of work rights for graduates.

US: Record number of Indian students, but policy uncertainty looms
- 337,630 Indian students in the US in 2024-the largest international student group for the first time.
- 18% rise in Indian postgraduate enrollments, now at 196,000.
- Concerns over potential restrictions on Optional Practical Training (OPT) and H-1B visas under a possible Trump administration.
- Trump’s proposal for automatic green cards for top graduates, if implemented, could significantly impact international student choices.
Impact on post-study work opportunities

Country-wise visa and work policy changes
Canada: Stricter study permit rules, but more work hours
- Canada is reducing the number of study permits issued in 2025.
- The Student Direct Stream (SDS), a fast-track visa processing system, has been discontinued.
- Post-study work visa now requires language proficiency tests.
- Work hour limit increased from 20 to 24 hours per week.

UK: Decline in Indian student enrollments amid visa restrictions
- A 23% drop in Indian student enrollments due to dependent visa restrictions.
- Tuition fees increased by £285, now at £9,535.
- The Graduate Route visa remains, allowing two years of post-study work (three years for PhD graduates).

Australia: Tougher financial and language requirements
- Proposal to cap international student intake at 270,000 remains under discussion.
- New financial proof requirement: A$29,710.
- Higher English language proficiency standards introduced.
- Temporary Graduate Visa (subclass 485) still offers up to six years of work rights for graduates.

US: Record number of Indian students, but policy uncertainty looms
- 337,630 Indian students in the US in 2024-the largest international student group for the first time.
- 18% rise in Indian postgraduate enrollments, now at 196,000.
- Concerns over potential restrictions on Optional Practical Training (OPT) and H-1B visas under a possible Trump administration.
- Trump’s proposal for automatic green cards for top graduates, if implemented, could significantly impact international student choices.

Impact on post-study work opportunities
- US: OPT remains a major draw (12 months for general graduates, 36 months for STEM graduates).
- UK: Graduate Route allows two years of work without employer sponsorship.
- Canada: Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) offers up to three years of work; stricter language requirements introduced.
- Australia: Subclass 485 visa provides up to six years of post-study work, with special benefits for Indian students under the India-
Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA).

South Africans looking to leave warned of 'permanent mark on their records'



An immigration expert has warned South Africans looking to take US President Donald Trump's offer that it could be a decision that will impact their ability to visit other countries for the rest of their lives.
On 7 February 2025, Trump signed an executive order freezing aid to South Africa and prioritising the resettlement of Afrikaners in the United States as refugees.

The White House cited South Africa's recently enacted Expropriation Act, arguing that it discriminates against the white minority population by allowing the state to seize land without compensation.
The administration further accused the South African government of fostering policies that undermine equal opportunities and contribute to racially targeted violence against landowners.

According to the order, the US Secretary of State and Secretary of Homeland Security will take steps to admit and resettle Afrikaners under the United States Refugee Admissions Program.
The directive from the White House noted that it aims to provide humanitarian relief to those allegedly facing systemic discrimination.
Neil Diamond, president of the South African Chamber of Commerce in the USA, warned of a potential mass exodus of skilled agricultural professionals.

He noted that within just 48 hours of the executive order's announcement, over 17,000 inquiries had been received from South Africans seeking information on refugee status and relocation to the US.
He emphasised that the departure of experienced farmers could have severe consequences for South Africa's food security, agricultural value chain, and economic stability.

The South African Trade Union Solidarity Movement acknowledged that some Afrikaners might consider emigration but rejected mass resettlement as a viable solution.
Solidarity chairperson Flip Buys emphasised that Afrikaners are deeply rooted in South Africa's history and culture and should focus on building a future within the country rather than seeking asylum abroad.

"The repatriation of Afrikaners as refugees is not a solution. We want to build a future in South Africa," he said.
The South African government has strongly condemned the executive order, describing it as misleading and based on misinformation.

A warning to South Africans considering the move
Canadian immigration consultant Nicholas Avramis has warned the Afrikaans community to be cautious with the recent policy announcement from the United States encouraging South Africans to make asylum claims based on alleged human rights violations.
"I would caution any individual from making a refugee claim to the United States or any other country as it will impact any future visa application to other countries," he said.

According to Avramis, making an asylum claim comes with consequences. "It is essentially a mark on your record and will have to be explained every time one applies for a visitor visa to another country," he added.
When applying to visit another country, immigration officials need to be satisfied that you will return to your home country.
However, asylum is a clear indication that you want to leave your home country without the intention of returning.
Avramis advises South Africans to focus on immigration programs that were created with a genuine intent to attract skilled workers as opposed to ones created in politics.

Canada is climbing the ladder of countries attracting skilled South Africans to fill shortages faced by most third world countries.
Since 2020, close to 18,000 work permit and permanent residency applications have been approved for South Africans.
According to Avramis, about 8,000 work permit applications and a further 6,500 permanent residency applications were approved for skilled workers from South Africa.

Avramis added that the top three occupations held by South Africans in Canada are agricultural workers, healthcare workers and various trade groups.
"A big driver in the last two years for South Africans immigrating to Canada has been more healthcare professionals entering the Express Entry pool hoping to be selected for permanent residency."

Canada now has occupation-specific draws for various occupations that are deemed a national priority.
There are 37 medical jobs posted in the healthcare category. On 28 February 2025, Canada announced a new education field to attract early educators as permanent residents.

This is expected to draw many South African teachers who struggle with under resourced schools, low pay, and crowed classrooms.