Ciudadanía por nacimiento: salvaguardia de apatridia para niños nacidos en RSA (s2(2))
Ciudadanía en South Africa
- Elegibilidad
- Una persona nacida en la República que no adquiere la ciudadanía conforme al s2(1) es, no obstante, ciudadano sudafricano por nacimiento si (a) no tiene ni tiene derecho a la ciudadanía o nacionalidad de ningún otro país, y (b) el nacimiento está registrado según el Registro de Nacimientos y Defunciones Act 51 of 1992 (s2(2) de la Ley de Ciudadanía. Act 88 of 1995). Ambas condiciones deben cumplirse; ésta es la salvaguardia interna de Sudáfrica contra la apatridia infantil.
- Plazo
- Deferred/conditional acquisition (e.g. registration or claim at majority).
- Renuncia
- No requerida
Resumen
A person born in the Republic who does not acquire citizenship under s2(1) is nonetheless a South African citizen by birth if (a) he or she does not have, and has no right to, the citizenship or nationality of any other country, and (b) the birth is registered under the Births and Deaths Registration Act 51 of 1992 (s2(2) of the Citizenship Act 88 of 1995). Both conditions must be satisfied; this is South Africa's domestic safeguard against childhood statelessness.
Base jurídica
Primary statute: SA Citizenship Act 88 of 1995 s2(2). Operative 2013-01-01–present. Authority: Department of Home Affairs (DHA).
Escenarios de ejemplo
Los escenarios de ejemplo se muestran en inglés.
Eligible — citizen by birth via the statelessness safeguard.
s2(2) makes a person born in the Republic who is not a citizen under s2(1) a citizen by birth if (a) they have no nationality or right to one AND (b) the birth is registered under the BDR Act 51/1992 — both conjunctive limbs are met. As SA is a non-party to the 1954/1961 conventions, s2(2) is the sole domestic anti-statelessness mechanism, reinforced by Constitution s28(1)(a) (nationality from birth).
Not eligible under ZA-BTH-02 — he holds another nationality.
s2(2)(a) requires that the child neither holds nor has a right to any other nationality; because Wei is a Chinese citizen, the statelessness safeguard is unavailable. Birth on RSA soil alone confers nothing (no jus soli); eligibility would depend on his parents holding PR (s2(3)) or a later s4(3) deferred claim at majority.
Conditional / not yet eligible — registration limb unmet.
s2(2) is conjunctive: even an otherwise-stateless child acquires citizenship only once limb (b), birth registration under the BDR Act 51/1992, is satisfied — no purposive reading dispenses with registration (all three TRC tiers agree). The remedy is to effect the (late) birth registration, after which the s2(2) claim is complete.
Resumen informativo recopilado a partir de fuentes legales primarias: no es asesoramiento jurídico. La ley de ciudadanía cambia; verifica con la autoridad competente antes de actuar. Verificado por última vez el 2026-07-01.
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