Home Affairs minister Malusi Gigaba says strong visa requirements remain necessary because single parents have complained to the courts that the department allows their former partners to travel abroad with their mutual children without consent.

Gigaba told parliament on Tuesday (today) that this was a serious concern‚ but added that it was not the department’s duty to mediate between jilted lovers who share custody of their children.

Gigaba was briefing the home affairs portfolio committee on the inter-ministerial committees (IMC) recommendation on the “unintended consequences of the immigration regulations“.

“One of the concerns which have been raised with us‚ and what the IMC decided was‚ one‚ South Africans travelling abroad [with their] children should carry on carrying unabridged birth certificates. Secondly that the letter of consent is still required it must be valid for a period of six months after which it lapses so that it must be renewed‚” said Gigaba.

He said the concern came particularly from “single parents in the instances of break ups“.

“Sometimes the other partner becomes hostile and they refuse to sign the letters of consent. Sometimes they just merely disappear. Now obviously the department in that instance cannot say therefore in that regard‚ we waive the regulations because the regulations must apply to everyone. What we have advised parents is that they must seek an interdict from the high court which has jurisdiction over children so that once we have that court decision we can now on that basis issue permission for a child to travel abroad‚” said Gigaba.

He said they’ve dealt with a number of cases of parents whose children have left the country without their consent.

 “In some instances some of the parents have taken action against the department asking us to explain in court why we allowed their children to leave without their permission. The court interdict therefore gives us the cover that we need‚” said Gigaba.

He said his department and the department of justice were exploring the possibility of using family advocates to provide guidance where children are involved.

Gigaba said some of the IMC’s other recommendations included:

- Considering a visa-waiver for India‚ China‚ Russia and other countries‚

- Look at issuing visas on arrival for persons travelling to SA having in their passports valid visas for the UK‚ USA and Canada or any other country that applies stringent checks on visitors to their countries‚ to ease travel for tourists‚

- Consider granting a certain category of frequent travellers (business and academics) from Africa a 10 year Multiple Entry Visitor’s Visa‚

- Open two Business Visa Facilitation Centres in Durban and Port Elizabeth‚ in addition to the centre recently opened in Sandton‚

- Print parents’ details in their passports so that they do not have to carry birth certificates.

 He said what has happened up to now has been a “fait accompli“.

 “The balance which is being prioritised‚ in terms of regulations‚ is in itself no longer a discussion because the proposals we have put forward‚ [which] have been accepted by the IMC and cabinet‚ have gone a long way in alleviating any concerns about unintended consequences — and created a situation which we believe will both satisfy concerns about the economy and security‚” said Gigaba.