World Cup fans to get free visas

Tabling her pre-budget vote on Wednesday (14 April 2010), Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma pointed out that fans from Mexico and Nigeria would probably make the most use of the special free visa.

Special queue lanes would also be set up for fans visiting the country during the World Cup, to ensure fast processing, she said.

The department, working with the South African Revenue Service (Sars) is also putting in place a system for entry points in the country. The system was already in place for OR Tambo Airport in Johannesburg and the plan was now to roll out the system to other entry points.

Dlamini-Zuma said even though they had to change service provider sometime half-way through the tender process, she was happy that the process was on course.

She said the department has also negotiated agreements with certain airlines which could assist with pre-processing of passengers before they arrived in South Africa for the World Cup.

The Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Malusi Gigaba said R15-million would be channelled to the Film and Publications Board to be used to fund educational advertisements on child pornography with the approach of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.