Wilson Johwa
29 July 2010
Johannesburg — THE North Gauteng High Court yesterday granted truck drivers three months to adjust to a new system that requires foreign drivers operating South African trucks to obtain work permits rather than use visitor permits. The move was in line with the Department of Home Affairs' continued tightening of entry requirements into SA that started before the World Cup.
Trucking companies lodged an urgent court application earlier this month, arguing they needed more time to comply due to the backlog at home affairs. While the law required foreign truck drivers to have work permits, tourist visas had previously been accepted. This changed when the department began closing loopholes at the border ahead of the World Cup.
About 2000 foreigners, out of a total 20000 truck drivers, operate South African-registered vehicles.
"Three months is a reasonable time but home affairs needs to do their bit - they have a five-month backlog on normal work permits," said Leon Isaacson, MD of Global Migration, an immigration agency involved in the matter.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2010 Business Day. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
