The National Register of Artisans Regulations 2020 has significant implications for foreign artisans seeking to work in South Africa. Here are the key points:

1.    Registration Requirements: Foreign artisans must register with the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) before applying for a critical skills work visa or any work visa with the Department of Home Affairs (DHA)

•  Categories of Artisans: The regulations categorize artisans into four groups: Practising Artisans, Non-Practising Artisans, Foreign Practising Artisans, and Foreign Non-Practising Artisans
•  Registration Process: Foreign artisans must provide specific documents, including a certified passport copy, evidence of legal visa for entrance into the country, certified copy of trade test (whether conducted locally or abroad), SAQA evaluation of foreign trade test, proof of address, and proof of previous registration for a renewal
•  Consequences for Visa Applications: Regulation 6.5 states that all foreign national artisans must register with DHET before applying for a critical skills work visa or any work visa with DHA. Regulation 6.6 further stipulates that foreign national artisans will not be granted a critical skills work visa by DHA if they are not registered with DHET
•  Impact on Visa Applications: The regulations have closed the gap in the previous inconsistent approach to recognizing foreign artisans in South Africa. This means that foreign artisans can now register and obtain a critical skills work visa more easily, without the need for additional legislative hoops

In summary, the National Register of Artisans Regulations 2020 has streamlined the process for foreign artisans to register and obtain a critical skills work visa in South Africa

Registration Requirements For Artisans in South Africa
Applying for critical skills work visa in South Africa as an artisan has been a challenge for the longest time. In 2014 when the current amendments to the Immigration Act were gazetted several gaps were identified in the Act which included the absence of a SAQA accredited professional body to register artisans. ECSA was not an option due to their minimum NQF criteria of 5 which was a notch above the rating being given by SAQA for artisans.  

There was a time letters issued by the National Artisan Moderation Body, (NAMB), were sufficient and then they were not. There was a time when registration with the South African Institute of Draughting was good enough and then it wasn’t. The latest dispensation saw applications being rejected because Home Affairs required a South African trade test.  

This of course is absurd for two reasons; the artisan is already trade tested and secondly a South African trade test requires a minimum experience in South Africa.
This inconsistency was a direct result of the absence of a key legislative instrument, namely the National Register of Artisans.  In terms section 26C of the Skills Development Act 97 of 1998 as amended, the Minister of Higher Education is required to establish a register of artisans.  

This register unfortunately could not be implemented as the regulations were not yet in place to establish this register, therefore the NAMB letters were acceptable as they pointed to the absence of the National Register of Artisans.  In the absence of a clear framework on how to recognise foreign artisans in the republic it meant that the Department of Home Affairs was left to its own devices hence the constant changes in approach.

Fortunately, that gap has now been closed and a clear process of registering artisans is now in place.   The National Register of Artisans Regulations was gazetted the 19th of March 2021 and provides a framework for the registration of all artisans, local and foreign. There 4 categories of artisans, Practising Artisans, Non – Practising, Foreign Practising and Foreign Non-Practising Artisans.  Under regulation 3 it is mandatory for all artisans to register with the Department of Higher Educations National Artisan Development Support Centre (NADSC). 

The registration requirements for foreign National Practising Artisans are the following, a certified passport copy, evidence of legal visa for entrance into the country, certified copy of trade test whether conducted locally or abroad, SAQA evaluation of foreign trade test, proof of address and proof of previous registration for a renewal.
Importantly regulation 6 has some consequences for visa applications by artisans.  6.5 Provides that all foreign national artisans must register with DHET before applying for critical skills work visa or any work visa with DHA. 6.6 goes on to state that foreign national artisans will not be granted critical skills work by DHA if they are not registered with DHET. This means that as of 19th March 2021 it became impossible for an artisan to get a visa without first registering the NADSC

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Here's what a data breach at home affairs could mean for you.
As The Citizen reveals serious vulnerabilities in government’s data systems, an IT expert has warned that Home Affairs IT infrastructure is an open book to skilled hackers – and even the not-so-skilled.
Cybersecurity operation Scarybyte chief executive Karim Jaber said detailed data of government IT infrastructure is also available on publicly accessible websites intended for mapping exposed infrastructure worldwide.

This is known as “enumerated” data.
In hacking, enumeration means gathering detailed information from a server, such as usernames, open ports, or software versions.
Hackers use this process to identify weak points or areas they can exploit to gain access to a system.
Hackers target weak points

Jaber said the information disclosed includes details about technology used, subdomains, IP addresses, and open ports.
This is vital information that attackers can use during the early stages of a cyberattack to identify weaknesses and plan their approach.
A whistle-blower from home affairs corroborated this assessment, noting that while some firewalls exist at home affairs, they constitute a single or partial layer of defence.

Jaber added a unified set of controls is required to secure infrastructure and data effectively.
He estimated at least 30% of the enumerated vulnerabilities discovered by the hacker and shown to him are highly exploitable for whatever use a hacker may want.

In turn, Jaber demonstrated to The Citizen how easy it is to enumerate home affairs’ systems, root directories, technologies, vendors, admin portals and even e-mail structures.

It took him less than three minutes to bypass certain security measures using advanced browsing methods.
He said where hackers cannot penetrate digitally, they could quickly use artificial intelligence and phishing techniques to manipulate employees into revealing passwords or other sensitive information.

“A major part of hacking is also exploiting the human element,” Jaber said. Home affairs personnel may believe they operate within a secure environment but in a world of deep fakes and phishing, it’s easy to deceive.

“High-resolution images of the minister and his team allow for the creation of near-perfect approaches to manipulation. By gathering the necessary information, it’s possible to create completely believable and legitimate e-mails that appear to originate from within the department,” said Jaber.
Even more concerning is that the home affairs perimeter security layers are easily digitally unpacked when they should be well-hidden or obscured.

Citizens’ sensitive data up for grabs
If a hacker gains control of a server at the department of home affairs, the risks are potentially catastrophic.
They could intercept sensitive citizen data, including ID numbers, biometric records and immigration details, leading to large-scale identity theft and financial fraud.

Hackers could also manipulate traffic to redirect users to malicious sites, inject malware, or gain deeper access to the department’s internal systems and connected networks, such as financial institutions and credit bureaus, Jaber said.
“This compromise could disrupt operations and sabotage critical services like ID issuance, and leak sensitive governmental data, posing a national security threat.”
He added hackers could exploit this access to infiltrate other organisations linked to the department of home affairs, amplifying the breach’s impact.

And time seems to be freely available. During the research period of this report, the anonymous cyber expert spent two weeks “scratching” home affairs’ systems, in other words irritating the system, to test whether he would be detected by its digital security apparatus. He was not.

The domain dilemma
Home affairs is not the only government department with wide open cyber doors.
It is potentially the entire government online domain, Jaber said. The weakness, he said, simply put, is that a domain name serves as a unique address for accessing applications or critical components and is also used in e-mail addresses.

It consists of a main domain that is usually the organisation’s name, a domain extension or top-level domain like ‘.za’ for South Africa and can include subdomains that designate different departments or services.

Each subdomain, associated IP address and e-mail address represents a potential access point.
If not properly secured, these can serve as gateways for unauthorised users to infiltrate government systems and access sensitive data.

The IMF has suggested SA adopt a 60% debt cap to curb its fiscal free-for-all, while also hinting that a lower inflation target might also be advisable. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has recommended that South Africa adopt a long-term fiscal rule and cap its overall debt ratio at 60% of gross domestic product (GDP); and voiced its support for a lowering of the central banks inflation target.The IMF recommended earlier this year that South Africa craft a fiscal rule to impose a debt ceiling or anchor. But this is the first time it has suggested a 60% debt-to-GDP ratio to target. The suggestion comes as South Africa grapples to contain its swelling debt levels and reboot its ailing economy under the Government of National Unity (GNU).A fiscal rule anchored in a prudent debt ceiling can help underpin the consolidation and support policy credibility, the Washington-based lender said in a statement issued after one of its regular staff mission visits to South Africa. The mission recommends an enhanced fiscal framework including a long-term prudent debt anchor (of around 60% of GDP, in line with that of peers), a credible fiscal rule (building on the existing expenditure ceiling), and an independent body to assess compliance.The 60% of GDP recommendation is a very long-term goal. The Treasurys current forecast is for debt to reach 74.7% of GDP in 2024/25 and around 75% of GDP by 2027/28, when the aim is to stabilise it at these levels.The National Treasury said this will enable the government to arrest the trend of mounting debt-service costs, which will peak as a proportion of revenue at 21.7% in 2025/26 and decline thereafter. Although there are significant external and domestic risks to the fiscal strategy, the government is determined to maintain a prudent, disciplined approach to ensure sustainable public finances, the Treasury noted in a statement issued today in response to the IMF recommendations.The mission recommends a consolidation effort of 1% of GDP per year over the next three years to achieve a primary surplus sufficient to lower debt to around 60`70% in the next five to 10 years, the IMF said.This could be achieved by cutting inefficient public spending on subsidies, curtailing transfers to SOEs, improving procurement processes (by judiciously implementing the new procurement bill), and rationalising the public-sector wage bill (by limiting wage increases to below-inflation adjustments and incentivising early retirement, as planned), while protecting vulnerable groups.Having a long-term cap on debt would certainly go a long way towards boosting South Africas fiscal credibility at a time when it is desperately trying to claw its way out of junk status with the ratings agencies. S&P Global has revised South Africas outlook to positive from stable, which signals that an upgrade may finally be on the horizon on this front.Getting on a path to faster economic growth will help to make a debt target doable. Faster growth rates translate into a bigger revenue stream for the Treasury, reducing the need for borrowing. At the same time, more elevated levels of GDP mean that debt as a percentage measured against it falls The IMF also said that a lower inflation target would support medium-term macroeconomic stability.South Africas current annual inflation rate is 2.8%, which is below the South African Reserve Banks (SARB) 3-6% target range. With inflation slowing and not seen exceeding 4% before the middle of 2025, the SARB has cut interest rates twice by 25 basis points since September.But Governor Lesetja Kganyago has made the case recently for lowering the inflation target to 3%, and talks are currently under way with the Treasury about this issue.Shifting from the current target band to a lower point target at an appropriate time could help lower expectations and inflation, the IMF said.

A former adjudicator at the permit section of the Department of Home Affairs, Phanuel Mokomo, has been found guilty of corruption by the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court, on Wednesday.

The conviction comes after Mokomo offered an internal investigator R10,000 bribe to stop him from conducting a prove into his corrupt activities.

Gauteng Hawks spokesperson, Colonel Katlego Mogale said Mokomo was under an internal investigation by the department for irregular issuance and approval of permits.

After offering the bribe, the matter was brought to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) also known as the Hawks in September 2018.

“An entrapment operation was authorised and executed in terms of Section 252A of the Criminal Procedure Act, 1977,” said Mogale.

“The operation culminated in Mokomo being caught in the act of offering the R10,000 gratification to the internal investigator of the Department of Home Affairs,” she added.

She said Mokomo was immediately arrested and charged with corruption.

After numerous court appearances, Mokomo was found guilty of corruption on Wednesday.

The case has been postponed to February 18, 2025 for sentencing.

“This conviction underscores the DPCI's commitment to combating corruption, particularly in cases that threaten the integrity of public institutions such as the Department of Home Affairs.

“The successful entrapment and prosecution demonstrate the importance of inter-agency collaboration in holding public officials accountable,” said Mogale.

Mogale added that the DPCI remains steadfast in its mission to root out corruption and ensure the integrity of public service delivery.