Overstay Appeals in South Africa (Johannesburg)

I have been put in the most horrific situation separated from family and loved ones because of the departments inability to assist in applications or process them in a reasonable time. I am a South African permanent resident (grew up in PTA) and still they banned me as well as my son ( a minor!!!) , even though he had a study visa pending ( after R Protected content 9 months later they still had not processed it!!) I had to leave SA for work in July Protected content they listed us both as undesirable!! As a permanent resident and my sons only guardian I find this unconstitutional and wrong!! We have been stuck in the UK for over a year now and have had no choice but get an immigration attorney to help and now force the department through a court order to pick up our file so that by some miracle we can return home!!! Thousands of rands later in legal fees, torn apart from our loved ones and and our lives completely wrecked and we are now sitting and waiting for the court date as if we are some kind of criminals waiting to be let out of jail.

What was supposed to be a good work opportunity in London to also be able to pay of debt back home has turned into our worst nightmare and cost us even more on legal fees making my debt problem even worse back home. The distress and heartache this has caused myself and my loved ones is incomprehensible!

How many others are in similar situations because of our departments inefficiencies and have they been successful in getting things resolved?

Kind regards,
Liz