The Oppenheimer family have turned yet again to court to try to enforce an order to operate immediately an international customs and immigration service component at their company Fireblade’s VVIP centre at OR Tambo International Airport. A report in The Mercury says the hope is that this can now be achieved by 12 February at the latest. This was after Gauteng High Court (Pretoria) Judge Sulet Potterill in October last year gave Fireblade the green light to run the customs and immigration services.

Despite the Department of Home Affairs giving an undertaking at the end of last month that the company could go ahead, Fireblade was still not able to do so. This was apparently because of technical reasons. However, the company is now confident that it will be all systems go, as it and the department’s DG Mkuseli Apleni reached an agreement yesterday. Apleni unconditionally undertook to give effect to Potterill’s order by ensuring ad hoc immigration services were rendered to all international movements at Fireblade’s airport operation. It was agreed that this undertaking would remain in place pending the finalisation of all proceedings before the SCA and the Constitutional Court.

Full report in The Mercury (subscription needed)