SCA strikes down piece of legislation that led to automatic loss of SA citizenship
Published: 13/Juin/2023
Source: News24 (Johannesburg)
By Cebelihle Bhengu
- The SCA ruled that legislation, which led to the loss of SA citizenship when acquiring other citizenship, was irrational and unconstitutional.
- The legislation required that South Africans receive permission from the home affairs minister to retain their citizenship.
- The DA took the department to court regarding the « draconian piece of apartheid legislation ».
Unconstitutional and now invalid.
This was the ruling of the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) on a piece of legislation, which stated that individuals would cease to be South African citizens if they acquired the citizenship or nationality of another country through a voluntary and formal act other than marriage.
In terms of the legislation, citizens had been required to get permission from the home affairs minister to retain their citizenship.
The SCA on Tuesday ruled in favour of the DA, which had appealed an order by the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria.