No proof investors looking for SA permanent residency have R15 billion, says Home Affairs

Home Affairs says it will abide by a court ruling which ordered the department to finalise the permanent residence applications of 182 immigrants.

The department has 30 days to deal with the backlog in the applications, with the Pretoria High Court highlighting on Monday, that the delays in processing has left the immigrants waiting for a response from Home Affairs.

Investors

The applicants – many of whom are reportedly Swiss, German, British and US investors – asked the court to compel Home Affairs Minister, Aaron Motsoaledi, and his department to either grant or refuse them permanent residence status in South Africa.

The delays has prevented the applicants from “completing investments estimated to be over R15 billion“, according to their legal representative, Advocate Simba Chitando.

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Home Affairs has, however, denied this claim.

“It is nonsensical for anybody, even counsel for the applicants, to claim that these applicants have upwards of R15 billion to invest in South Africa. There is absolutely no proof to arrive at such a conclusion,” the department said in a statement on Tuesday.

“This lie and inciting the public by claiming that the country will lose a certain amount of money if certain individuals are not allowed to sojourn in the country, will remain just that – propaganda.”

Applications finalised

The department insisted that it understood the court’s judgment “very clearly” and would abide by the ruling.

“It simply instructs that the department finalise applications for permanent residence. It does not instruct that the department finalises the applications in a particular manner, as purported by other people.

“It is true that we are faced with a backlog on permanent residence applications. But, nevertheless, we will complete these ones within 30 days, as instructed by the court,” Home Affairs said.

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According to the department, 18 of the 182 applications has already been finalised, but most of them were not from the investors.

In addition, 91 applications – including spousal visa and retirement – have been screened.

“This means that 86 of the 91 applicants screened do not fall in the categories of any investors who can bring R15 billion into the country.

“People must stop promising the public something that is not going to happen. In applying the immigration laws of the country, an impression must not be created that South Africa is accessible only to the super rich,” Home Affairs concluded.

Additional reporting by Moneyweb