Bureaucrafts drop a bombshall

THE South African travel
and tourism trade
have narrowly escaped
a ‘travel shutdown’ as
government has offered
travellers a grace period
before it implements new
requirements for families
travelling with children.
The trade was hit with
the bombshell on June 9
when the Board of Airline
Representatives South
Africa (Barsa) released a
statement to the press
opposing the Department
of Home Affairs’ new
immigration regulations,
which require that all
parents arriving, transiting
and departing from SA
produce an unabridged birth
certificate for their children.
Panic grips the trade
Recently appointed Home
Affairs Minister, Malusi
Gigaba, announced at a
media briefing on May
28 that the Immigration
Regulations of 2014 had
come into effect on May
26 and that government
would implement the new
regulations as early as
July 1. Panic gripped the
trade as the deadline left
agents, operators and
airlines with little over
two weeks to advise their
passengers to acquire the
correct documentation,
which the DHA says takes
six to eight weeks.
Taking into account the
upcoming school holidays,
the Department of Home
Affairs decided to extend the
grace period until October 1
for travellers younger than
18 years to obtain their
unabridged birth certificates.
Ricardo Abramse, DHA
spokesperson, said this
gave people enough time
to obtain the relevant
documents before travelling.
“The purpose of the Act is
not to hinder, but to protect
children. We currently have
hundreds of thousands
of children crossing our
borders unaccompanied.”
However, parents have
been warned that they
should apply for the
document as soon as
possible to avoid delays.
Norman Ramashia,
responsible for births,
marriage and deaths,
passports and citizenship at
the DHA, told TNW it took six
to eight weeks to obtain an
unabridged birth certificate,
but many parents that
TNW spoke to said, in their
experience, the process took
much longer.
One source said they
applied at the beginning
of last year for their son’s
unabridged birth certificate
and only received notice that
it was ready in October after
making weekly follow-up
calls with the Department.
Another, who applied in
April, is still waiting for the
certificate and was told it
would take up to six months.
More delays are expected
now that the Act has come
into effect and travellers
rush to get the documents
before they travel.
South Africans who are
travelling abroad without the
unabridged certificate and
are planning to return to
South Africa after
October 1 would not be
affected, Ricardo said. “We
won’t refuse them entry into
their own land.”