South Africa

[Ron Weasley]

Vittu,

As far as passport control/Customs in South africa I have only been searched once coming off a KLM flight from Amsterdam(Worst flight ever not to mention airline!!) I did come into Cape Town at about 11 P.M. For some reason the green channel was not in place. When I went into the line, they yanked me.

Funny thing Is that I declared nothing I must have has R 5000 worth of cosmetics etc.... Nothing happened they made a mess of everything i had packed and I got a hand pat down, and a "Thank you stay out of trouble". At that time I was using my U.S. passport to enter Z.A.

I was out of Customs faster then most people going through the regular line. As far as J'burg airport that place is a zoo. Nobody cares, at lease that what I have seen. A while back there was a strike when I was coming back from Basaruto, Mozambique. There was nobody in Customs or passport control at all!!.

As I say Welcome to South Africa.!!!!

Cheers,

RW.

[Vittu]

ron weasley,

here are two other war stories about apartheid south africa in the 1980s.

i once needed to spend a night in soweto, the black township outside johannesburg. i went to see a mr. phillips, a dedicated public servant at the rand administration board, because, as a white, i needed an official permit to go to black soweto. "may i ask why you need it?" mr. phillips asked. "i want to visit some shebeens (illegal taverns)," i answered.

so i got a legal permit to do illegal things, a contradiction i will always treasure. no one ever checked my permit, although the security police, with their white toyota bakkies (pickup trucks), were clearly visible on the roads leading to and from soweto.

i had an in with mr. phillips, a dirty old man. whenever i went outside south africa, i bought a copy of playboy for him. those were banned in south africa.

once i was coming from mauritius and got stopped at the customs. "do you have anything to declare?" i was asked. i assured i had none. "not even a copy of playboy?" they asked. "no," i answered.

when they opened my suitcase, the first thing they saw was a copy of playboy. (i always made sure that illegal stuff was on the top, so they would lose interest about everything else).

they confirep001ed it, giving me an official receipt. "detained," it said, "one copy of playboy."

do you think they still might have it at jan smuts, or whatever they call the joburg airport these days?

item: if you came from europe, you could avoid the customs altogether. the only thing you needed to do was to step off the plane in nairobi but let your luggage go on to joburg. after a night or two of whoring, you would go to joburg and fetch your suitcase from the unclaimed luggage room without any inspection. this is how got "banned" literature into the country, everything ranging from political stuff i needed in my work to some more risque stuff.

south africa was a very interesting country. during my three years, i never got laid there, though, because i felt my position was too sensitive. for that, i always went to kenya. neither did i try south african native weed, which i gather is out of sight. once in mombasa, kenya, when i scored some reefer, i asked the guy in the market how i would know it was any good.

"man," he said, "i supply the whole (u.s. ) seventh fleeet. for u.s. $20, i got a brown paper bag so big that i had to flush much of the stuff down the toilet, because i could not risk to take it to south africa.

all that is past history now, of course.

editor's note: i certainly hope that the author or somebody else will post a link to this report in the reports of distinction thread. please click here for more information.

[Ron Weasley]

Vittu,

Funny thing is that I got a ticked in Strand, Western Cape. I have residences in Roiels and Somerset West. I have a Land Rover Bakkie with CFM plates(Somerset West). The ticket was for like R 300 or something. I started yelling at the meter maid or whatever she was parking enforcement I can' remember(Talking on my cell phone while driving)

Keep in mind she was white, funny thing is that she forgot to write in the spaces marked vary clearly my plate number my D.L. number the make of the car etc... Funny thing is If i were her I would have taken time!!.

So I go to the Strand courthouse the next day to see the Magistrate to get the ticked thrown out or pay it R 300 please(LOL!!) ticket would have been double in the U.S. I went to see him, handed him the ticket, he stamped it with something official, and them was more interested in where in the states I was from then the ticket. The judge was a black man.

As I like to say WELCOME TO SOUTH AFRICA.

and more I am in coutry:
SOUTH AFRICA MY KIND OF PLACE.

cheers.

[Ron Weasley]

Screwed up:

In response yo your question: U.S. customs does not stamp a U.S. passport upon leaving the U.S. They also do not Stamp U.S. passports upon arrival. They basically use any stamps or stickers you may have gotten on your trip to verify where you have been(To see if your story checks out!).

I always am forced to fly through another country. Usually The Netherlands or Germany. Since at both Schipol and Frankfurn Main you are in the Sterile area and not entering the EU or that physical country you never go through passport control. You are screened again however. In Frankfurt you are hand searched and your bags go through X-Ray. In the Netherlands they tend to line everyone up, ask questions etc then search and x-ray.

Please keep in mind that these procedures ARE ONLY FOR FLIGHTS TO THE U.S. do to security and terrorists etc.... I would have to say I prefer Frankfurt to Amsterdam. London well I have been once so I can't say how security is now these days.

Now when boarding flights to South Africa, rarely is there a screening process. The only time I have been asked a question was at London and they just asked me where are you going today?? I think it was because alot of construction was going on and some people have the tendancy to get on a wrong flight. Both from Schipol and Frankfurt main the boarding process was simple with nobody checking anything but your ticket.

Now on the otherhand if I wanted to go into the EU let's say there may be a problem with 2 passports being on my person. I usually keep the S.A. passport in my hand baggage and my U.S. on my person. I do however hold in my handbags as well my S.A. I.D. booklet and have my ZA D.L. on me. There may be a suspision boarding a flight to the U.S. coming from the E.U. as my place of embarkment I.E. I am leaving from Frankfurt after staying a week for buisness. There may be questions asked etc.. But If I am going to be doing this I just will keep my U.S. passport.

As I have stated earlier I do have a sticker from Home affairs that I have to renew every 2 years. It's a temp resident permit, but a bit different from what you get at the airport. U.S. customs never really cares because my story checks out I never lie. Plus I am wearing a rugby shirt and Have Blackie Swart and Dozi DVD's that I do claim and list for U.S. customs.

I understand what you're saying with the ZA passport never having a U.S. visa or stamp on it. This was a matter I had to clear up, which I did. If you want specifice please private I.M. me. All I can say is I do have something in it. So I have never been asked anything by anyone. Gotta love the ZA customs guys overworked underpaid!!. But this was a matter I cleared up with the ZA home affairs people when I got the pssport(Rather my attorney cleared it up!)

Hope this helps. It's simple all I do is use my ZA passport to enter ZA that's it. I can use my U.S. to come and go as I please as well. So I guess it dosen't really matter. But I do know that a ZA passport is worthless really. You need visas for alot of countrys whereas my U.S. I don't.

[Vittu]

Ron Weasley -- Here is another war story from the apartheid era.

Knowing that any South African stamps could cause problems for the passport holder in black African countries, South African officials were perfectly willing to issue your visa on a separate piece of paper. They would then stamp your arrival and departure on that piece of paper.

At first I did not know that. I almost got turned around at the Kampala airport, when they discovered a South African visa in my passport.

That, of course, is all past history. Today South Africa is truly the continent's economic superpower. Since its eduation system for blacks during apartheid was rotten, every M.D. and account from black Africa wants to move to South Africa to earn some real money.

[Screwed Up]

I really use my South African passport to enter South Africa that's it. I tend to Use my U.S. passport to leave, I then send my S.A. passport via Fex EX back home to the U.S. This way if questions are asked by U.S. customs I don't have anything on my person to raise suspision.

They could easily see that you don't have an entree stamp of any country on the date of leaving the US. How do you deal with that? Or they never checked the other stamps? Or you always fly through another country first? Still, than you would have an exit stamp there of that country with the date of entering SA...

[Vittu]

Ron Weasley,

When I worked in Joburg for a couple of years during the apartheid regime, I, too, did a passport switcheroo. One day, one official looked through my passport, shook his head and leafed through it again.

"Mynheer," he finally said matter of factly, "you are a very interesting man. You always leave but you never arrive."

[Ron Weasley]

Thanks Bilko....

What he has posted is correct. And that's what I do. I use my U.S. passport to depart the U.S. for South Africa. I then Use my South African Passport to enter through South African Customs(What Customs LOL!!). I then Re-Use my U.S. passport to re-enter the United States. Since I have a department of home affairs sticker(Temp residence permit valid for 3 years at a time!) there are no questions asked.

I really use my South African passport to enter South Africa that's it. I tend to Use my U.S. passport to leave, I then send my S.A. passport via Fex EX back home to the U.S. This way if questions are asked by U.S. customs I don't have anything on my person to raise suspision.

Even though it's legal I tend not to screw with U.S. customs. I have seen if you seem to act weird go fast etc they sometimes will yank you, and in these days it's more likely. Last time I flew through Frankfurt from S.A. they yanked at least 10 people from my flight. This is why I am careful.

I have never had a problem, never. But just be careful people. All the terrorism crap going on most U.S. government agencys and airlines are being very cautious and seem to be yanking and throwing people left and right these days.

Take care,

RW.

[Sgt Bilko]

FYI Gents, the following is the U.S. Department of State's Official Position on Dual Nationality (from its website):

"The concept of dual nationality means that a person is a citizen of two countries at the same time. Each country has its own citizenship laws based on its own policy.Persons may have dual nationality by automatic operation of different laws rather than by choice. For example, a child born in a foreign country to U.S. citizen parents may be both a U.S. citizen and a citizen of the country of birth.

"A U.S. citizen may acquire foreign citizenship by marriage, or a person naturalized as a U.S. citizen may not lose the citizenship of the country of birth.U.S. law does not mention dual nationality or require a person to choose one citizenship or another. Also, a person who is automatically granted another citizenship does not risk losing U.S. citizenship. However, a person who acquires a foreign citizenship by applying for it may lose U.S. citizenship. In order to lose U.S. citizenship, the law requires that the person must apply for the foreign citizenship voluntarily, by free choice, and with the intention to give up U.S. citizenship.

"Intent can be shown by the person's statements or conduct.The U.S. Government recognizes that dual nationality exists but does not encourage it as a matter of policy because of the problems it may cause. Claims of other countries on dual national U.S. citizens may conflict with U.S. law, and dual nationality may limit U.S. Government efforts to assist citizens abroad. The country where a dual national is located generally has a stronger claim to that person's allegiance.

"However, dual nationals owe allegiance to both the United States and the foreign country. They are required to obey the laws of both countries. Either country has the right to enforce its laws, particularly if the person later travels there.Most U.S. citizens, including dual nationals, must use a U.S. passport to enter and leave the United States. Dual nationals may also be required by the foreign country to use its passport to enter and leave that country. Use of the foreign passport does not endanger U.S. citizenship.Most countries permit a person to renounce or otherwise lose citizenship.

"Information on losing foreign citizenship can be obtained from the foreign country's embassy and consulates in the United States. Americans can renounce U.S. citizenship in the proper form at U.S. embassies and consulates abroad."

I hope this helps.

[AfAsia]

mates,

can anyone answer the question- where does all the pussy hang in durban?

speed13

[Blastoff]

Well thanks for the update, as it’s news to me. I know of 2 friends who tried to relinquish their U.S. citizenship and get a passport from an other country (I know this is not duel citizenship in this e.g.) and they had nothing but trouble from the U.S. Government.

I also know of an other guy that had duel citizenship and tried to claim some tax relief because of it and the IRS were all over him.

Sorry if I got it wrong. Thanks for the correction.

Regards

Blastoff

[Vittu]

Blastoff -- Yes, there is no need to hide dual citizenship, if you are an American. Its perfectly legal and longstanding.

Item: In South Africa, many whites also has dual citizenship. Lots of people with British or Israeli passports. I also knew someone who kept his Ugandan and Kenyan passports current, just in case.

[Spiros K]

Dear Ron Weasley,

I suggest that you don't tell to many people in the U.S. of your second passport and I have had 2 American friends who had a second passport to an other country charged for possessing it! America is now too strict in my opinion on this due to possible terrorists etc. Australia where I came from allows recognised duel citizenship to some selected countries like Greece, Italy etc to which it has a level of agreement for such things but as I said, America, to what I have read and been told doe not allow this so keep it under your hat so to speak lol.

Cheers

Dual citizenship is 100% legal in US.

[Blastoff]

Dear Ron Weasley,

I suggest that you don't tell to many people in the U.S. of your second passport and I have had 2 American friends who had a second passport to an other country charged for possessing it! America is now too strict in my opinion on this due to possible terrorists etc. Australia where I came from allows recognised duel citizenship to some selected countries like Greece, Italy etc to which it has a level of agreement for such things but as I said, America, to what I have read and been told doe not allow this so keep it under your hat so to speak lol.

Cheers

[Ron Weasley]

Blastoff,

Any time you're coming down give me a private P.M. I don't know when I'll be back Honestly. But I'll keep you informed.

As far as deal citizenship, I do use my S.A. passport to get into South Africa that's about it. When I am in country I use my ID book and Drivers licence for most other things(Absa transactions in bank etc...) However when leaving or returning to the U.S. I use my U.S. passport. Since it has a permanent resident sticker on it They can't stamp it.

Other then that I have used my ZA passport to go to Cuba whereas a U.S. passport would have raised questions with U.S. Customs. But as far as flying I tend not to fly alot anymore due to heavy security and terrorists all over the place.

I do work in the U.S. and I was born in the U.S. I became a dual citizen by way of marriage. They have since changed the lay you now have to wait 5 years before you can apply for anything including an I.D. number.

But I am actually enjoying my Labor Day here in a nice western rocky mountain state(LOL!).

Take care,

RW.