'Hostile' visa regime resolve

HOME AFFAIRS: MINISTER PLEDGES TO FIX WORK PERMIT APPLICATION PROCESS CRISIS

'Economy will never grow if we don't open our doors to people who want to lawfully come here.'

South Africa must fix a dysfunctional work permit system or sacrifice economic growth, Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said, pledging to resolve a crisis that employers say limits investment.

A byzantine application process that can extend beyond a year has contributed to a backlog of hundreds of thousands of applications, while miring his department in lawsuits from people demanding rulings on their submissions.

That's been accompanied by a national debate where foreigners are routinely accused of stealing South African jobs, in a country with an unemployment rate of more than 30%. That's despite the National Treasury saying a dearth of skills is the second-biggest threat to the economy after power cuts, and skilled workers create jobs for those less qualified.

A German-South African business association, which represents companies including Volkswagen AG, has said the chaos threatens operations that support 100 000 jobs.