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Fraudulent identity leads to deportation of businessman
A businessman claiming Palestinian roots has left the country after failing to force the Department of Home Affairs to allow him to legalise his status in South Africa. A businessman has left South Africa after failing to stop the Department of Home Affairsâ bid to deport him when he was found to be using a fraudulent name.Manar Alnajjar or âFrederik van Wykâ had been detained at the Lindela Repatriation Centre in Mogale City after being arrested in January this year at OR Tambo International Airport on his return from a business trip in Dubai.He was charged with possession of a fraudulent South African identity document and passport.Alnajjar appeared before the Nigel Magistrateâs Court and pleaded guilty to contravening the Immigration Act and fraud in April and sentenced to three months direct imprisonment for fraud and R120 000 for being in the country illegally.Remaining Time -1:13The court suspended R100 000 of the amount for three years on condition that he is not found guilty of a similar offence. After completing his sentence, Alnajjar was transferred to the Lindela Repatriation Centre for deportation.In his defence, he claimed he first entered the country in 2007 using a visitorâs visa and subsequently obtained a general work visa in February 2011.Alnajjar stated that he aspired to be a permanent South African citizen and engaged the services of an immigration agent.Afterwards, they visited the offices of Home Affairs in Nigel, which then furnished him with the South African ID containing his photograph and under the name âFrederik van Wykâ.It was during his stay at the Lindela Repatriation Centre in July that Alnajjar launched an urgent application to the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg to force Home Affairs director-general Livhuwani Makhode, minister Dr. Leon Schreiber and the head of the centre to release him to legalise his status in the country.Alnajjar told the court that he previously held a Jordanian passport and that his family is originally from Gaza but after the 1967 Six-Day War between Israel and its Arab neighbours, his family along with others were forced to relocate to Jordan.During his time in South Africa, he knowingly used the fraudulent document and used it to apply for a passport.Alnajjar added that he had a life partner who is a Ukrainian citizen, also a permanent resident and holder of a permanent South African non-citizen document, and together they had a daughter, who is 11 months old.In 2013, he married a Bulgarian citizen but divorced her in 2022. He also insisted that he is a successful businessman and a shareholder of a company operating in the recycling space in and outside South Africa and that he employed about ten people.Alnajjar said the company had been steadily expanding until he was arrested earlier this year.However, Acting Judge Patrick Malungana said the court could not countenance the perpetuation of illegal activities despite showing remorse by pleading guilty for fraud after he was arrested in possession of the fraudulent documents.âThe applicant (Alnajjar) has known all along of his fraudulent identity document. It is only when the law caught up with him that he pleaded guilty, and has some sort of expectation for the law to prevent his deportation because he has some family and business interests in the country,â the acting judge said, explaining his decision to dismiss the urgent application last week.Chris Wentzel, Alnajjarâs lawyer in the urgent application, said his client has already left the country after being unsuccessful in court.âHe and his wife will decide, I assume, what they will do next but I donât have any confirmation on what they have decided to take things forward,â he said.
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- Key Insight: Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast track to working in South Afr...
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Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast trac V.6139
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26. Aug. 2025 News 24More than 380k South Africans blocked from IDs lawyers challenge home affairs
One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, became a victim of identity theft in 2012 when fraudulent transactions occurred, using her personal details.
-The Pretoria High Court found that the department of home affairs had violated constitutional rights without due process.
-Only half of Lawyers for Human Rights` test group has been unblocked, while 385 000 identities remain blocked nationwide.
-LHR appeals extension, urges affected people to seek help now.
Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) are intensifying pressure on the department of home affairs over the national ID-blocking crisis, accusing the state of acting too slowly to unblock qualifying individuals despite a landmark court ruling.
In January last year, the Pretoria High Court found that the department`s practice of blocking IDs without due process was unlawful and unconstitutional. One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, a Swati citizen and South African permanent resident since 1998, fell victim to identity theft in 2012 when fraudsters used her personal details.
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25. Aug. 2025 SA MigrationAirport Immigration Alert
The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.
What does this mean for travelers? V.6128
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25. Aug. 2025 SA MigrationAirport Immigration Alert
The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.
What does this mean for travelers? V.6129
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25. Aug. 2025 CNNA New Zealand mother and her 6-year-old son released from US immigration custody after being detained for weeks
A Washington state mother and her 6-year-old son have been released after spending more than three weeks in US immigration detention due to a brief trip to Canada and a small paperwork mistake, her attorney told CNN on Saturday.
Sarah Shaw, a New Zealand citizen who has lived legally in the US since she arrived in 2021, was detained at the Blaine, Washington, Customs and Border Protection checkpoint when returning home after dropping her two oldest children off at the Vancouver airport for a flight to visit their grandparents in New Zealand. Shaw, 33, chose the flight out of Vancouver because it was direct and she didn`t want her children to have to navigate a layover alone, her attorney Minda Thorward, told CNN.
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25. Aug. 2025 Biz CommunityHigh Court upholds corporate visa refusal: Implications for businesses
On 22 July 2025, the Gauteng High Court dismissed Sitrusrand Boerdery`s review of the Department of Employment and Labour`s refusal to issue a Working Conditions and Salary Benchmarking Certificate, an essential precondition for obtaining corporate visas under the Immigration Act.
Acting Judge Kekana AJ held that the Department`s decision was lawful, rational and procedurally fair. This judgment illustrates how businesses can - and must - structure their corporate visa applications to meet statutory requirements, and how legal practitioners should prepare robust review challenges when administrative authorities decline to recommend foreign-work permits.
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25. Aug. 2025 businessinsiderUS faces 9.4bn dollars tourism loss from new 250dollars visa fee targeting African countries
The United States could forfeit an estimated 9.4 billion dollars in visitor spending over the next three years following the introduction of a new 250 dollars `visa integrity fee,` according to industry groups, who warn the policy risks undermining tourism and costing thousands of jobs.
The United Statesâ decision to introduce a 250 dollars `visa integrity fee` on international visitors has triggered sharp criticism from the global tourism industry, with officials warning that the measure could deter millions of travellers and cost the U.S. economy billions.
The 250dollar `visa integrity fee,` part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed on July 4, 2025, will take effect later this year. According to immigration law firm Envoy Global, it applies to all nonimmigrant visa holders which include students, tourists, temporary workers, and business visitors particularly from African countries. V.6132
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21. Aug. 2025 SA MigrationAirport Immigration Alert
The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.
What does this mean for travelers? V.6127
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20. Aug. 2025 SA MigrationARRESTED & UNDOCUMENTED: WHAT ARE YOUR OPTIONS?
1. Right to Legal Representationâ¢You have the right to consult with a legal representative.â¢Contact an immigration practitioner, legal aid clinic, or attorney urgently.â¢Do not sign any documents without understanding them fully. 2. Section 34 of the Immigration Actâ¢You must be brought to court with 48 hours to confirm arrest but you can remain locked up very long as courts figure out what to do with you â¢If you`re found to be illegally in South Africa, you may be detained for up to 30 days (extendable by a magistrate) pending deportation.â¢BUT this cannot happen arbitrarily. You must be informed of your rights, and Home Affairs must follow due process.- becomes a nightmare , you could lose your job , business , place to stay V.6121
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20. Aug. 2025 SA MigrationE-Hailing & Scooter Drivers in South Africa â` Why Being LEGAL is CRUCIAL!
Driving for Bolt, Uber, Mr D, or Checkers Sixty60?If you`re undocumented, you`re risking more than just your income.The Risks if You`re Not Legal: - Vehicle impoundment - Heavy fines - Arrest & deportation - Permanent bans from working in SA V.6122
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20. Aug. 2025 SA MigrationE-Hailing & Scooter Drivers in South Africa - Why Being LEGAL is CRUCIAL!
Driving for Bolt, Uber, Mr D, or Checkers Sixty60?If you`re undocumented, you`re risking more than just your income.The Risks if You`re Not Legal: - Vehicle impoundment - Heavy fines - Arrest & deportation - Permanent bans from working in SA V.6123
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13. Aug. 2025 Daily MaverickFamily houses` don`t exist in law and it is creating chaos among families
The single most common problem brought to the Orange Farm Advice Centre is disputes over `family houses`. Legally, there is no such thing as a family house, yet it has a very real existence. In South Africa, there are two ways of dying. With or without a will. A will gives instructions on distributing your worldly possessions. Dying without a will, or intestate, means your possessions are inherited by relatives in line with the Intestate Succession Act. V.6119
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13. Aug. 2025 Home AffairsHome Affairs launches phase two of Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS)
After attracting over 25 000 tourists in six months, Home Affairs launches phase two of Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS) to further boost tourism job creation The Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Leon Schreiber, can today announce the launch of phase two of the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS), which adds another 45 vetted and approved tour operators to the existing 65 operators that have participated in the programme since its launch in February 2025. V.6120
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12. Aug. 2025 The South AfricanSA couple beg Australia for protection visa over `death sentence` return
A white South African couple living in Sydney seeking a protection visa are begging the Australian government not to deport them over their fear of `persecution`.They`ve even gone as far as to call returning home a `death sentence`.Their pleas come as many white South Africans, and those of racial minorities, have been invited to apply for the refugee resettlement programme in the US, under President Donald Trump`s Executive Order. V.6118
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11. Aug. 2025 SA MigrationLabour Court rules against `just following orders` defence in South Africa
Dishonesty, even when instructed, breaches the trust at the heart of the employment relationship and can justify a dismissal, according to Amandla Makhongwana, senior associate at Bowmans.Makhongwana says the Labour Courtâs judgment in Mbuyane v Dekker NO and Others (JR1173/2020) [2025] ZALCJHB 224 serves as a poignant reminder that integrity is not negotiable, even under pressure from management.Banele Innocent Mbuyane, a former treasury custodian at Standard Bank, shared operational duties with his supervisor, Ms Nkosi. According to Amandla Makhongwana, senior associate at Bowmans: âIn carrying out this function, Mbuyane and Nkosi were responsible for receiving cash from a security company, SBV. If the amount received was incorrect, they had to return the cash to SBV and prepare balance sheets that correctly corresponded with the amounts received from SBV.â V.6114
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11. Aug. 2025 SA MigrationLabour Court rules against `just following orders` defence in South Africa
Dishonesty, even when instructed, breaches the trust at the heart of the employment relationship and can justify a dismissal, according to Amandla Makhongwana, senior associate at Bowmans.Makhongwana says the Labour Courtâs judgment in Mbuyane v Dekker NO and Others (JR1173/2020) [2025] ZALCJHB 224 serves as a poignant reminder that integrity is not negotiable, even under pressure from management.Banele Innocent Mbuyane, a former treasury custodian at Standard Bank, shared operational duties with his supervisor, Ms Nkosi. According to Amandla Makhongwana, senior associate at Bowmans: âIn carrying out this function, Mbuyane and Nkosi were responsible for receiving cash from a security company, SBV. If the amount received was incorrect, they had to return the cash to SBV and prepare balance sheets that correctly corresponded with the amounts received from SBV.â V.6115
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08. Aug. 2025 SA MigrationLabour Court rules against `just following orders` defence in South Africa
Dishonesty, even when instructed, breaches the trust at the heart of the employment relationship and can justify a dismissal, according to Amandla Makhongwana, senior associate at Bowmans.Makhongwana says the Labour Courtâs judgment in Mbuyane v Dekker NO and Others (JR1173/2020) [2025] ZALCJHB 224 serves as a poignant reminder that integrity is not negotiable, even under pressure from management.Banele Innocent Mbuyane, a former treasury custodian at Standard Bank, shared operational duties with his supervisor, Ms Nkosi. According to Amandla Makhongwana, senior associate at Bowmans: âIn carrying out this function, Mbuyane and Nkosi were responsible for receiving cash from a security company, SBV. If the amount received was incorrect, they had to return the cash to SBV and prepare balance sheets that correctly corresponded with the amounts received from SBV.â V.6109
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08. Aug. 2025 SA MigrationARRESTED & UNDOCUMENTED: WHAT ARE YOUR OPTIONS?
1. Right to Legal Representationâ¢You have the right to consult with a legal representative.â¢Contact an immigration practitioner, legal aid clinic, or attorney urgently.â¢Do not sign any documents without understanding them fully. 2. Section 34 of the Immigration Actâ¢You must be brought to court with 48 hours to confirm arrest but you can remain locked up very long as courts figure out what to do with you â¢If you`re found to be illegally in South Africa, you may be detained for up to 30 days (extendable by a magistrate) pending deportation.â¢BUT this cannot happen arbitrarily. You must be informed of your rights, and Home Affairs must follow due process.- becomes a nightmare , you could lose your job , business , place to stay V.6110
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08. Aug. 2025 SA MigrationHome Affairs `New Broom` Operation - They`re Everywhere!
Roadblocks. Workplace Raids. Random Checks.Home Affairs is cracking down hard on undocumented foreigners - no one is invisible anymore.If You`re Not Legal in South Africa, You Risk: - Arrest & detention - Deportation - Losing your job or business - Being banned from re-entry V.6111
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08. Aug. 2025 SA MigrationFraudulent identity leads to deportation of businessman
A businessman claiming Palestinian roots has left the country after failing to force the Department of Home Affairs to allow him to legalise his status in South Africa. A businessman has left South Africa after failing to stop the Department of Home Affairsâ bid to deport him when he was found to be using a fraudulent name. V.6112
