Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has dismissed fears that tourists were being chased away from South Africa due to expired visa documents, saying it was a misunderstanding.
This comes as a departmental directive issued last year sparked controversy regarding tourist visas, including claims that tourists were being chased away from South Africa.
The directive in question, issued in December last year, outlined requirements for tourists with short-term visas issued up to November 30, 2023.
It stated that those who had applied for renewal but had not received outcomes by February 23, 2024, were to leave the country by February 29, 2024, to avoid being labelled as ‘undesirable’ due to processing delays.
The directive aimed to tackle backlog issues in processing outcomes on waiver, visa, and appeal applications while ensuring compliance with immigration regulations.
During a media briefing on Sunday, Motsoaledi said efforts had been made to clarify the matter during parliamentary sessions and the state of the nation address debates, but evidently, his explanations were not deemed sufficient by some.
He acknowledged that the circular, while well-intentioned, may have inadvertently caused confusion.
“It was a very unfortunate circular that should not have been issued because matters it was trying to clarify could have easily been addressed in the normal course of operations,” he said.
In response to reports of tourists encountering difficulties, Motsoaledi stated that measures were being taken to address any issues promptly.
He highlighted that only one case had been referred to the Ministry of Tourism, indicating minimal impact on the tourism industry.
He revealed five individuals were found to have encountered problems due to overstaying their visas at the Cape Town International Airport. However, authorities have been instructed to lift their ‘undesirable’ status without delay.
The minister also addressed the term ‘undesirable,’ emphasising its historical usage in the Immigration Act of 2002. He acknowledged that the term may sound alarming but clarified its legal context within immigration legislation.
“The word undesirable is perhaps by itself very unfortunate because it sounds scary, but it was the term used when the Immigration Act of 2002 was enacted in parliament, and it appears in the Immigration Act of 2002,” Motsoaledi said.
In conclusion, Minister Motsoaledi reiterated the government’s commitment to resolving any issues arising from the directive promptly. He said steps were being taken to mitigate any adverse effects on tourists and the tourism industry.
