ConCourt Refugee Ruling Leaves Pretoria Scrambling – Cabinet Has No Fix After 72 Hours
iReport South Africa | 11.10.2026 16:20
The top officials inside the Union Buildings were still engaged in emergency meetings seventy-two hours after the Constitutional Court handed down its momentous refugee judgement. They were unable to map a clear route ahead on a finding that government sources privately characterise as “completely unworkable.” The Department of Home Affairs is already struggling under the weight of the ruling, which redraws the mechanism by which South Africa must handle asylum applicants. The department is already dealing with chronic backlogs, understaffed processing centers, and a budget that has been neglected for years.
