South Africa: ConCourt rules kids born abroad have right to SA citizenship
Published: 23/Jul/2020
Source: Independent Online (South Africa)
By Bongani Nkosi
A landmark court ruling has declared that children of South Africans born out of the country are entitled to get their citizenship.
The Constitutional Court has ordered Home Affairs to grant the rightfully-deserved citizenship to four adults born outside the country to South African parents.
Vusi Chisuse, born in Malawi, Emma Dullart, born in Ghana, and Zimbabwe-born Amanda Tilma and Martin Hoffman first dragged Home Affairs to court in 2016, represented by Lawyers for Human Rights, for refusing to process their applications.
Their fight to attain citizenship on grounds of descent finally bore fruit yesterday as the Constitutional Court confirmed a North Gauteng High Court ruling that went in their favour.
Home Affairs lost in absentia at the high court, after it failed over two years to file opposing papers.