Download logoThe Select Committee on Security and Justice has welcomed the Department of Home Affairs’ (DHA) progress in addressing visa-related backlogs, while emphasising that clearing overdue applications must be accompanied by reforms to prevent backlogs from recurring.
The DHA briefed the committee yesterday on visa processing, appeals, overdue-reduction interventions and digital transformation. It identified sustained demand, application complexity, fragmented processes, data integration challenges and capacity constraints as key factors contributing to processing delays.
The committee expressed particular concern about the scale of pending appeals. As of 28 July 2026, the DHA reported 21 847 pending appeals, of which 13 148 (60.2%) were overdue. The department indicated that appeals remain a significant workload requiring targeted, fair and risk-based adjudication.
Committee Chairperson Ms Jane Seboletswe Mananiso said the committee recognises the complexity of visa adjudication, particularly where applications require verification or involve potential fraud and misrepresentation. She commended the department for the progress made.
“The committee welcomes the measures being implemented to reduce the backlog, but the ultimate test is whether these interventions result in predictable, fair and efficient turnaround times. We cannot continue responding to backlogs only after they have accumulated,” the Chairperson said.
The DHA reported an average processing capacity of 13 000 to 15 000 applications per month and has set a target of clearing all overdue applications by 31 March 2027. The committee also welcomed progress in addressing corruption and irregular visa processing. Since 2022, the DHA has investigated 41 allegations involving irregular processing and issuance of visas, with 20 cases referred for disciplinary processes. The department reported that 18 officials have been convicted and sentenced since 2022 for contraventions of DHA legislation.
The committee stressed that enforcement must be accompanied by stronger preventative controls. The DHA identified fragmented data and non-integrated systems as risks contributing to duplication, manual intervention, reduced traceability, fraud and corruption.
“We are encouraged by action against officials implicated in corruption, but enforcement must go hand in hand with prevention. Systems should reduce unnecessary human discretion, strengthen traceability and make it more difficult to manipulate immigration processes,” said Ms Mananiso.
The committee welcomed the DHA’s move towards electronic travel authorisation (ETA) and the Population Master Database, while emphasising that digital transformation must deliver measurable improvements in efficiency, accountability, verification and service delivery.
The committee further welcomed Immigration Directive 7 of 2026, which extends the temporary status of pending waiver, visa and appeal applicants until 30 June 2027, helping to prevent law-abiding foreign nationals from becoming irregular due to administrative delays.
“The state must protect the integrity of our immigration system while ensuring that people who comply with the law are treated fairly. Administrative delays should not, in themselves, create irregularity for applicants awaiting decisions,” said Ms Mananiso.
The committee called on the DHA to maintain clear monitoring and reporting on overdue applications and ensure that current interventions build sustainable processing capacity. “The objective must be genuine end-to-end resolution, rather than simply moving applications from one queue to another. The department must clear the current backlog while building systems and controls that prevent backlogs from becoming a permanent feature of visa administration,” concluded Ms Mananiso.
The committee also received a briefing from the Magistrates Commission on the withholding of remuneration of two magistrates who are currently suspended. The committee commended the commission for the progress it has made in addressing long outstanding matters and encouraged them to engage in benchmarking to learn how other countries manage disciplinary delays.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.
