The Department of Home Affairs’ (DHA’s) continued inability to process work permit applications within its previously promised 30-day deadline is causing growing concern for the trucking industry. The issue started in May when the DHA threatened to prevent foreign drivers employed by SA truckers from crossing he border unless they had SA work permits. And while truckers had no objection to the need for permits, they objected to the DHA’s inability to process them in the 30-day time limit. Leon Isaacson, MD of Global Migration and chairman of the Forum of Immigration Practitioners of SA (Fipsa), told FTW that the department had a statutory obligation to process work permit and other temporary residence applications within that 30-day timespan. “But,” he added, “although we met with the DHA on August 18 and September 1, we were informed that the backlog in the processing of all work permit applications continued. “Unless something radical is done the backlog will mount and the processing times will increase.” Fipsa is currently consulting with its members and its attorneys on the Home Affairs matter, and further court action is still on the table. “One alternative would be an urgent application for the courts to compel the department to issue the permits,” Isaacson added, “some of which have been pending for nine or 10 months. “We are busy deciding how to proceed, as this state of affairs cannot continue. We have clients who are being prejudiced daily in various ways – including jobs being lost and bank accounts being closed.”
