There would be no changes to South Africa’s strict immigration laws due to 15 cases of child trafficking at OR Tambo since January, the most recent being on March 29.

Malusi Gigaba, Minister of Home Affairs, said at a media briefing at OR Tambo International Airport on Thursday. 

This announcement comes after Thabo Mokgola, Spokesperson for the Department of Home Affairs, advised on March 6 that changes to South Africa’s immigration laws were expected to be released “any time between now and the end of the month”.

Gigaba confirmed that people travelling out of South Africa with a child would still have to produce an unabridged birth certificate for the child to prove the relationship between the minor and parents. If the child is travelling with a guardian, the guardian must produce a letter of consent written by the child’s parents no more than three months previously.

The Minister said: “The visa regulations that were introduced in 2014 are paying off. It is the responsibility of South Africa not to turn a blind eye to trafficking.”