Most South African university students want to leave the country because of crime, corruption, lack of job opportunities, failing infrastructure, and the rising cost of living.

This was revealed in the annual 2022/23 Professional Provident Society (PPS) Student Confidence Index. The survey involved 2,400 undergraduates and postgraduates studying towards a profession-specific degree at public and private universities. The students studied valuable skills, including engineering, medicine, law, accounting, business management, and psychology. The survey found that 90% of the university students desired to work and live abroad to gain experience. What was particularly worrying is that the percentage of students, particularly younger black students, who want to leave jumped from 39% to 90% in two years. It shows that the country faces a mass exodus of skills as young, qualified South Africans have an overwhelming desire to live and work abroad.

Apart from the better job prospects, they feel that working overseas enhances their chances of providing a better-quality future for their families.

There were also many problems, which the students cited as push factors for not wanting to live in the country.

78% of the participants rated crime and corruption as the topmost worrying factors about living in South Africa.

65% cited unemployment, 66% the failing infrastructure, and 52% the cost of living, poverty, and the economy.

Motshabi Nomvethe, PPS’s head of technical marketing, said there is a silver lining to students planning to leave the country.

She said many students indicated they would be willing to return to South Africa after gaining the necessary experience.

“The students want to come back when the South African economy has improved and can absorb them,” she said.

Skilled South Africans flooding overseas

The concerning findings in the 2022/23 PPS Student Confidence Index come on the back of reports of skilled South Africans flooding out of the country.

Wits professor William Gumede warned that South Africa’s skills exodus had become a crisis with professionals of all races, ages, and parts of the country leaving.

He highlighted that South Africa needs people with skills, ideas, and energy to turn the country around and increase economic growth.

“When you strip a country of these key people, it seriously undermines it from an economic growth perspective,” he said.

Former Home Affairs DG Mavuso Msimang said the critical skills shortage in the country is one of the most significant blockages to economic growth.

He added that it was “really worrying” that the government was dragging its feet to address the issue.

The South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE) said the critical shortage of skills is one of the key drivers behind the country’s collapsing infrastructure.

SAICE said the country had lost a shocking number of engineers in the civil sector over the last 20 years.

The South African medical fraternity also suffers from an exodus of nurses and doctors, resulting in understaffed public hospitals.

Profmed CEO Craig Comrie said the substantial exit of medical professionals over the last three to five years created tremendous skills shortages.

Interpol are in contact with their 195 member countries as they try to help gardaí to identify an elderly man who has been charged with allegedly using passports in the names of two babies born in the 1950’s who died just months after their birth.

Det Garda Padraig Hanley, of the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, told Cork District Court that investigations are still ongoing in multiple jurisdictions as they attempt to identify the man who has been in custody since last month.

The man, who speaks with an American accent, was arrested in Cork passport office last month when he was making an application. Gardaí previously indicated that the man has not given them any assistance as they attempt to find out his true identity.

Dt Garda Hanley said the fingerprints of the man are still being circulated by Interpol.

“We have received some responses  not from everybody. Investigations are still ongoing with Interpol and internationally. I know for a fact that investigations are still ongoing with the US.”

Det Garda Morris said that the UK’s National Crime Agency and authorities in Canada have returned negative identity responses. They are still awaiting responses from countries such as New Zealand and Australia.

He could not say as yet how many countries have returned negative findings. However, he knows “for a fact” that “no one has said yes” with regard to the identity of the man.

Domestically, Det Garda Hanley said that a number of addresses in Ireland may or may not be linked with the man. Gardaí have also been in touch with the RSA, the Residential Tenancies Board, the ESB and the VHI. A team has been set up to carry out enquiries.

Inspector Pat Lyons applied for a further adjournment of the case as investigations are ongoing. Frank Buttimer, solicitor for the man, said that there will have to be a cut off date as to when a decision is made by the DPP in relation to the case.

Judge Olann Kelleher said that the DPP “can’t make a decision when they don’t know who they man is.”

Judge Kelleher remanded the man in custody until October 24th next when he will appear by video link from prison. The man, who has white hair and a beard, appeared by video link in court today.

Meanwhile, the man was arrested on September 15th at the passport office in South Mall in Cork. He was charged in the name of Philip Frank Morris of no fixed address, with a date of birth in the 1950’s.

He was charged with two offences relating to allegedly providing false or misleading information in order to obtain a passport

Det Garda Hanley last month told the court that the man allegedly used the name of a baby, Philip Frank Morris, who was born in December 1952 but subsequently died to apply for a passport in Cork.

Det Garda Hanley said that when questioned the man said he was residing in Ireland and needed a passport to leave the country. Dt Sgt Hanley said the man did not co-operate with officers in any way following his arrest.

He said the man held an Irish passport for three decades but only recently obtained a PPS number.

He told Judge Kelleher that they had spoken to the brother of the late Philip Morris who died at the age of four months in 1953.

Last Tuesday at Cork District Court the man was charged with an additional offence. Det Garda Hanley said that the man made no reply when he was charged with providing information or documents on September 11th last at the passport office in South Mall which were false or misleading.

The court heard that the man allegedly had a passport in the name of Geoffrey Warbrook. However, Det Garda Hanley said gardaí have spoken to relatives of Mr Warbrook who confirmed that he died as a young baby in the early 1950’s.

“Both of those two people (Philip Morris and Geoffrey Warbook) died. We have interviewed siblings of both of those people who died in 1952 and 1953. They died within months of their birth.

We are satisfied that he is not Philip Morris or Geoffrey Warbrook (the two names on passports allegedly seized from the man).

There are two passports, one of which has been renewed. Numerous international enquiries regarding fingerprints and photos have been made.

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Portugal has now closed its golden visa scheme for real estate investors, which helped many foreigners move to the Western European country.

Portugal terminates golden visas. Image: Lorne Philpot

Portugal has put an end to its sought-after residence permit for real estate investment activities (also known as golden visas). The new law governing this comes into effect today, Saturday 7 October 2023.

INVESTMENT SCHEMES        

Portugal attracted large numbers of expat residents to its shores by offering investment visas (golden visas) to foreign nationals who purchased real estate.       

Portugal became home to scores of Americans, Chinese, Israelis and other nationals who found La Dolce vita (the sweet life) in that country.

The golden visa programme was an easy way for foreigners to buy into the Portuguese lifestyle through property ownership.

NEW LAW 

Portugal News reports that new residence permits for investment activities, known as golden visas, will no longer be accepted. 

The law states that this takes effect from Saturday 7 October.    

“New applications for residence permits for investment activities are not accepted”, the law states, per Portugal News.

EXISTING PERMIT HOLDERS

Foreign nationals who are already in possession of Portugal’s golden visas are periodically required to renew their authorisations, to retain their right to legally remain in Portugal. However, the new ruling will not affect these individuals.  

“These authorisations have been granted under the legal regime applicable until the date of entry into force of this law”, the document states.

This also applies to the granting or renewal of residence permits for family reunification.

BANNING INVESTMENT VISA SCHEMES

Last year the European Union raised concerns about golden visa programmes offered by several member states.   

The European Commission called on EU governments to end national programmes that sell citizenship to investors (also known as golden passports schemes) and urged them to suspend the sale of visas to Russians and Belarusians.

The move was a push from the European Parliament. It was an attempt to regulate the multi-billion-euro citizenship and visa industry, which the EU considered a security risk.

ALLURE OF PORTUGAL

For several years the European country was the talk of the town, attracting surprising numbers of South Africans.

The Western European country was not only popular for South African expats seeking a peaceful life but for large numbers of foreigners from several countries.

STANDARD OF LIVING

Migrants to Portugal often speak of safety, good health care and education, reliable water and electricity supplies and excellent road networks.

Not to mention the mobility to travel in Europe due to the fact that Portugal is a member of the European Union.