Minister’s press statement on the media campaign by the independent newspapers

ISSUED BY DEPARRMENT OF HOME AFFAIRS - 31 October 2022

1. On 20 October 2022, the Star newspaper owned by the Sekunjalo Group of Companies published a prominent article entitled “More ANC graft and sex scandals” in both its print and electronic platforms. The article contained unfounded and what was intended to be damaging allegations of corruption against a hard-working member of the Counter Corruption Branch within the Department of Home of Home Affairs (“DHA”), Mr Eric Nendauni and alleged sexual misconduct by the Minister of Home Affairs (“Minister”) and the Head of the Counter Corruption Branch, Adv Connie Moitse. The allegations are said to emanate from what the journalists claim is “a whistle-blower” but in fact it has been discovered that the lies came from a disgruntled junior administrative clerk in the employ of the DHA.

         Corruption and womanising allegations against Mr Nendauni

2. The so-called whistle-blower (who remains a single source), who the two journalists relied on to allege (without any shred of evidence) that “Mr Nendauni had cases allocated to him to investigate issuing of permits to foreign nationals without proper procedures and documentation. He decided to take R20 000 from each colleague and cases were closed without charging them”. 

3. The so-called whistle-blower further alleged that Mr Nendauni went on a drinking spree in the company of two unidentified women and misused the state vehicle. The women later robbed him as he did not pay the females money that was due to them. He was later protected by the Head of the Anti-Corruption Unit.

4. First, the two journalists in typical gutter journalism decided to publish the unverified allegations.

5. Second, the DHA would like to respond to the allegations of corruption and misuse of the state vehicle unfairly levelled against Mr Nendauni and would like to share with the public the following facts:

5.1. Mr Nendauni does not take any alcohol at all and hence can never go on a drinking spree as alleged by the Star newspaper. On Saturday, 9 September 2022, he went to the office from 11h00 to 16h00 as he was preparing documentation for the appearance in Court of individuals he had arrested, together with the members of the South Africa Police Service (“SAPS”) for issuing fraudulent passports and identity documents.

5.2. At about 17h00, he went to Soshanguve to a friend’s house-warming party using his own Audi vehicle with registration number: CM 97 PB GP. Mr Nendauni does not drive a state vehicle “Polo Sedan” with registration number: “KG 64 WG GP”. In fact that vehicle does not even exist in the fleet of vehicles under the control of the DHA. Whilst at the said party, an invited guest came with two women (who were not invited to the party). When he left at about 18h45, his friend gave him two Appletisers and he opened one. As he was about to leave the two women (who were not invited to the party) requested a lift from him to be drop off in Tshwane Central. He informed them it was not on his way to his home. They then requested to be dropped at Akasia. On the way, he had an opened Appletiser and one was still closed. He stopped to answer the call of nature. When returned, he had another sip of the opened Appletiser. All of a sudden, he felt numb on his legs and became unconscious.

5.3. When his wife realised that he did not come back home (which he has not done before), she phoned his colleagues who went to the office and could not find him and the state vehicle was parked in the garage. They advised his wife to open a case of a missing person under CAS 05/09//22. The police contacted tracker to trace the location of his vehicle. Whilst awaiting the outcome from tracker, a woman called his wife and told her he found her husband in his vehicle and he appeared dizzy and incoherent. She rushed to the scene, together with the police. She realized that his wallet and mobile phone were missing. Mr Nendauni was rushed to Akasia Hospital and the tests revealed that his drink was spiked with a known drug. When the police were informed about the results, they indicated that there is a gang of women robbers, who attend parties normally uninvited and later spike the drinks of their victims and rob them of their belongings.

5.4. Mr Nendauni was robbed of an amount of R 2 300 and a further amount R 2000 was sent via e-wallet, The investigation into the robbery, attempted murder and theft by members of the SAPS is ongoing.

5.5. The allegation of Mr Nendauni receiving bribes from his colleagues were thoroughly investigated and no evidence was found to support this wild allegation.

6. It is common cause that the DHA has taken effective steps to curb corrupt activities by its officials, which resulted in some of them being arrested and/or dismissed. There are other pending disciplinary cases. The Minister finds the malicious allegations against Mr Nendauni to be in bad taste and unacceptable. Clearly, the unsubstantiated allegations are meant to tarnish the reputation of corruption-busters within the DHA. The Minister believes that the Star newspaper is pursuing a nefarious agenda which is not geared towards promotion of freedom of the press by defending rascals masquerading as “whistle- blowers”. It is also not in the public interest as the journalists were prepared to throw out of the window all the ethical and standards governing fair reporting. The public cannot be fooled into believing nonsensical allegations. This begs the question as to what is the role of the Star newspaper in the fight against corruption and fraud in South Africa? 

        Allegations of a romantic relationship between the Minister and Adv Moitse

7. The allegations regarding the imaginary romantic relationship between the Minister and Adv Moitse deserves no response by the Minister. They are meant to make the article appear to be carrying sensational and juicy breaking news.

8. The Minister and the DHA will not be deterred from fighting corruption, fraud and illegal migration whenever they rear their ugly head based on spurious allegations. This is nothing but a fight-back strategy by criminals operating within and outside the DHA.

9. In future, the DHA will not respond to specific questions from the Star newspaper. Instead the DHA will issue a public statement in response to the questions, including the questions sent to the DHA by the Star newspaper on 25 October 2022 effectively giving the DHA 04 hours to respond to some historical issues.

www.samigration.com

Naspers and Prosus plunge as Xi spooks investors

News24 – 24 October 2022

Hong Kong stocks plunged by more than six percent to a 13-year low Monday as investors were spooked by Chinese President Xi Jinping's decision to hand key economic posts to loyalists who back his zero-Covid strategy.

The Hang Seng Index ended down 6.36 percent, or 1,030.43 points, to 15,180.69, its weakest level since 2009 during the global financial crisis.

Market giant Tencent lost 11%, while Alibaba and JD.com were all down around double digits and the Hang Seng tech index was almost 10 percent down.

On the JSE, Naspers slumped more than 12% to R1 818.87, while Prosus lost almost 10% to R776.87 just before lunch on Monday.

Naspers has a majority stake in Prosus, which holds 28.9% of Tencent.

The Shanghai Composite Index slipped 2.02 percent, or 61.37 points, to 2,977.56, while the Shenzhen Composite Index on China's second exchange shed 1.76 percent, or 34.59 points, to 1,932.34.

Xi's decision to pack his leadership with supporters as he tightens his grip on power suggests the government will not likely shift from its strategy of fighting Covid outbreaks with lockdowns and other strict measures.

The policy has been blamed for the sharp drop in growth in the world's number-two economy and, while data showed Monday that it expanded more than forecast in the third quarter, traders remain on edge.

In a speech to close the Congress on Saturday, Xi insisted his zero-Covid policy had been a success.

And he promoted Li Qiang, the architect of a two-month lockdown in Shanghai that crippled the financial hub's economy, to the second most powerful post in the Communist Party.

"The more centralised power becomes, the more the risk of overzealous policy implementation based on directives from the top," Duncan Wrigley, at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said.

"This happened in some of the lockdowns in the second quarter."

Tech firms were among the worst hit in the sell-off, having been hammered in recent years by Xi's crackdown on the sector that has scythed firms' profits and wiped billions off their valuations.

The sell-off cast a shadow over an otherwise bright start on other Asian markets, where traders were cheered by a rally on Wall Street following a report saying the Federal Reserve could ease up on its rate hike campaign.

"The Hong Kong market is seeing a panic selling moment," said Dickie Wong at Kingston Securities.

"While China reported macro data that beat expectation, the market is on a way down, as the leadership reshuffle and tensions between China and US continue to drag down sentiment and adds uncertainty."

www.samigration.com

Converting SA to full e-visa system tripped up by huge backlog, tech challenges, says Sisulu

News 24 – 24 October 2022

• The tourism and aviation industries have both been hit hard by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Even before the pandemic hit, the implementation of a full e-visa system was used as an example of how it can be made easier for travellers to visit the country.
• Although it does not fall directly under her department, Minister of Tourism Lindiwe Sisulu addressed the challenges at the annual general assembly of the Airlines Association of Southern Africa.

The implementation of e-visas to facilitate travel to the country is being tripped up by a huge backlog in converting the paper-based system to a computerised one, according to Minister of Tourism Lindiwe Sisulu.

"We continue to advocate for solutions in the areas that support and enable aviation such as visa facilitation. A lot of work has been done by the Department of Home Affairs as a partner to the sector and most recently, the rollout of e-visas in various countries, including seven African countries was implemented," Sisulu said at the 52nd annual general assembly of the Airlines Association of Southern Africa (AASA) taking place near Kleinmond.  

"Yes, we have a problem with our visa system and a lot of work still has to be done regarding the ability to implement [more] e-visas. There has been many discussions about the inefficiency of our visa regime and we have taken a resolution to follow intercontinental trends. However, we have difficulties."

She acknowledged that a lot of complaints have been received from SA's neighbouring countries about the time it takes to obtain visas. 

"We have made a commitment to get on the e-visa issue as soon as possible, but the backlog is huge. Just converting what we have on paper to being computerised is taking a lot of time. We are sorry that we are behind. It is a technology and backlog issue," Sisulu told News24 Business on the sidelines of the assembly.

She applauded Zambia for its recent announcement on waiving visa requirements for tourists from various overseas markets, many of which are key source markets for most destinations within the southern African region. 

"The easing of the visa requirements is a stimulus for integrated marketing of the region. But we must do more than just advocate," said Sisulu.

Aaron Munetsi, CEO of AASA, emphasised that it is important for government to consult with the airline industry before making policy decisions. 

"As we saw throughout the pandemic, governments often make the right noises, but fail to follow-through with suitable actions or the appropriate support," he said. 

Examples he gave of how data-based solutions can help airlines and airports increase their competitiveness in terms of customer experience include touchless biometric scanners, e-passports, e-visas and e-waybills.   

"Governments promise to slash red tape to become more business-friendly, yet these are some of the low-hanging fruits that will lubricate the flow of legitimate people and goods between and across markets. By providing these positive travel and trading experiences, we will become more competitive and attractive in our own right, but crucially, also as destinations and markets for investment, tourism and commerce," said Munetsi.

www.samigrtion.com

SARS introducing new ‘travel pass’ for everyone entering or leaving South Africa

Businesstech  - 21 October 2022

The South African Revenue Service (SARS) says it will introduce an ‘online traveller declaration system’ that all travellers need to comply with.

The new system will simplify passenger movement at South African airports, SARS said, and will come into effect from 1 November 2022.

The system aims to collect travel information and, in return, grants a traveller pass via email, said SARS.

It requires that all travellers – including South African citizens and residents, children and infants – leaving or entering South Africa by air complete the declaration. SARS said that once completed and submitted, travellers will receive a pass before they board.

The new online system will be rolled out in all South African international airports, starting with OR Tambo International Airport from 1 November, and then to others in the first quarter of 2023, the revenue service said.

“Upon arrival in South Africa, there will be instructions at the airports that will guide and inform travellers what to do next,” it said.

Currently, in terms of the declaration of goods at the airport, all people who arrive in the country are required to complete a Traveller Card (TC-01) if they have something to declare – the card is then used alongside your passport in the customs process.

Some goods that are required to be declared include things such as:

• Products purchased or acquired abroad
• Goods remodelled or repaired abroad
• Anything prohibited or restricted, or controlled under any law

When departing from South Africa, residents are further required by SARS to register valuables before their trip – this can be done at the customs office in international departures before handing luggage in.

However, tourists to South Africa can reclaim Value-Added Tax (VAT) on the goods bought during their visit to the country, added SARS.

SARS has been beefing up its tax policy and working with other institutions to ensure stricter compliance with tax law. The latest Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) annual report showed that over R41.6 million in penalties was imposed by SARS on certain people and businesses over 2021 – many of which were instances of non-compliance.

SARS has a history of keeping tabs on taxpayers. In mid-September, Tax Consulting SA noted that the taxman can track a person’s flights as part of stricter emigration processes.

Nikolas Skafidas, a tax expert from the group said that expatriate taxpayers awaiting approval for their non-resident status might have their flights tracked into and out of South Africa by the tax authority.

He said that flight details could possibly be used by SARS when questioning the validity of an applicant’s claim that they intend to reside outside of South Africa permanently.

www.samigration.com

China expected to grant Xi 5 more years, no major changes

Star Tribune – 21 October  2022

BEIJING — China on Sunday opens a twice-a-decade party conference at which leader Xi Jinping is expected to receive a third five-year ter m that breaks with recent precedent and establishes himself as arguably the most powerful Chinese politician since Mao Zedong.

Xi is expected to issue a lengthy address at the opening session, but little change is foreseen in his formula of strict one-party rule, intolerance of criticism and a hard-line approach toward COVID-19 including quarantines and travel bans even as other countries have opened up.

As with most Chinese political events, little information has been released beforehand and the congress' outcome will only be announced after several days of closed-door sessions. How much has been decided in advance and how much is still to be hashed out in face-to-face meetings also remains unknown.

At a two-hour news conference Saturday, the congress' spokesperson Sun Yeli reaffirmed the government's commitment to its "zero-COVID" policy despite the economic costs, and repeated its threat to use force to annex self-governing Taiwan.

But Sun offered few details about what if any changes would be enacted to the party's charter at the meeting, which is expected to last about a week. The congress is the 20th in the history of the century-old party, which boasts some 96 million members, over 2,000 of whom will attend the Beijing meetings.

The changes will "incorporate the major theoretical views and strategic thinking" concluded in the five years since the last congress, said Sun, a deputy head of the Chinese Communist Party's Propaganda Department who is not well known outside party circles.

The amendment or amendments will "meet new requirements for advancing the party's development and work in the face of new circumstances and new tasks," Sun said.

Xi has left little room for further political aggrandizement, having placed himself thoroughly in charge of domestic affairs, foreign policy, the military, the economy and most other key matters overseen by party working groups that he leads.

The congress comes as China's economy is facing major headwinds amid a near-collapse in the real estate sector and the toll on retail and manufacturing imposed by COVID-19 restrictions that upped the regime's already intense monitoring of the population and suppression of free speech.

In his remarks, Sun said China would exert all efforts to bring Taiwan under its control peacefully. But he said China would not tolerate what he called a movement toward full independence backed by hard-liners on the island and their overseas backers— presumably the U.S., which is Taiwan's main source of military and diplomatic support despite the lack of formal relations in deference to Beijing.

Sun also offered no hope China would be backing away from "zero COVID," which Xi and other leaders have made a political issue despite criticism by the World Health Organization and others that it is not a practical long-term solution given improvements in vaccines and therapies.

Many expect the policy to be continued at least until March, which Xi is expected to be given his third term as president and other top Cabinet leaders are installed.

While Xi faces no open opposition, his parting with the party's former collegial leadership style to concentrate power in his own hands does rankle among the public and party officials, said political observer and dissident Yin Weihong, who has faced repeated police harassment for his opposition views.

"There's a sense that he's taken a cake formally divided amongst several and decided he'll just have it all to himself," Yin said in a phone call from his home south of Shanghai.

www.samigration.com