South African PassportThe United Kingdom (UK) High Commission in South Africa has not ruled out reversing the decision that South Africans visiting Britain require visas.

As of Wednesday South African passport holders visiting the UK will be required to obtain a visa before travelling. The visa exemption that was in place for South Africans was withdrawn after security concerns.

The spokesperson for the UK High Commission in South Africa Russ Dixon thinks there would almost certainly be further global reviews on the visa system. He says it

But on Friday Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma told a media briefing in Parliament, following debate on her Department's budget vote in the National Assembly, that South Africa needs to resolve valid issues raised by the UK about passport fraud before Pretoria asks for visa requirements to be lifted.

Britain's Foreign Office in February introduced visa requirements for South Africans for the first time. Britain's official reason was the need to strengthen its borders, but media reports cited UK government concern that fundamentalists and criminals were using readily available stolen or forged South African passports to enter the UK.

Speaking during the debate, Dlamini-Zuma promised her Department would embark on a major drive to stop identity and travel document fraud and then fire officials who co-operated with forgers.

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