Fuel price protests in Zimbabwe turn deadly 16. Jan. 2019 Reuters
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Police fired tear gas in the capital Harare and second city Bulawayo where protesters barricaded roads, burned tyres and chanted songs against President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who put up fuel prices in the hope of easing a currency shortage. Security minister Owen Ncube said some people died at the protests, but gave no further details. He blamed the unrest on the main opposition party and political rights groups. Sponsored “Regrettably, this has resulted in the loss of life and property, including injury to police officers and members of the public. Full investigations are underway,†Ncube said in a statement. The Human Rights Forum, a collective of local groups, said it had received reports that five people had sustained gunshot wounds. The opposition Movement for Democratic Change said its Harare headquarters was torched late on Monday but the fire had been put out. It did not say who was behind the attack. The authorities are keen to avoid a repeat of post-election violence in August in which six people were killed after the army intervened. People run at a protest as barricades burn during rainfall in Harare, Zimbabwe January 14, 2019. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo Riot police patrolled downtown Harare as army helicopters circled above. Businesses closed early and schools called parents to pick their children, fearing violence. The main labor union called for a three-day stay-at-home strike starting Monday and central Harare was deserted by 4 p.m. Commuters walked home from the city center because there was no public transport. “I am stranded in town now and I have no idea how I am going to go home,†resident Leeroy Kabanga told Reuters. Airline Fastjet canceled its remaining flights to and from Zimbabwe on Monday due to the unrest. “TIME FOR THINGS TO SETTLE†Mnangagwa defended his fuel policy, saying prices in Zimbabwe were the lowest in the region. “Zimbabwe is going through both political and economic reforms and these do not come easily. It will take time for things to settle and results to be shown,†he told reporters in Moscow at the start of a five-nation foreign trip that some
| | analysts had expected him to cancel. “In normal circumstances the president should have canceled the trip or booked a flight back home to deal with a very urgent situation, but it could be that he has absolute confidence that his deputy is in charge,†said Eldred Masunungure, a political science lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe. Slideshow (5 Images) Cash shortages have plunged the economy into disarray, threatening widespread social unrest and undermining Mnangagwa’s efforts to win back foreign investors who left under Robert Mugabe, whose 40- year rule ended in a coup more than a year ago. Everyday life is getting increasingly tough with the prices of basic goods spiraling and medical supplies in short supply. Motorists wait for hours to fill up at fuel stations where soldiers are often deployed to break up fights over who is next in line. FEAR OF VIOLENCE In Bulawayo, police fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of protesters outside the High Court, according to video footage from the Centre For Innovation & Technology, an independent news service which also showed people looting a shop. Brexit in peril if divorce deal voted down - May Zimbabwe, which now uses the U.S. dollar after abandoning its currency in 2009 after hyperinflation, plans to introduce a new currency in the next 12 months. But Zimbabweans are still traumatized by hyperinflation, which hit 500 billion percent in 2008 and left the local currency worthless, wiping out savings and pensions. Inflation reached 31 percent in November, the highest in a decade. Businesses and civil servants are demanding to be paid in dollars. Zimbabwe’s largest brewing company Delta Beverages, part-owned by Anheuser-Busch Inbev, threatened to accept only U.S. dollars as payment but later reversed its decision after government-led negotiations. The government on Monday postponed wage negotiations with civil service unions, who are planning a nationwide strike from Jan. 22 to press for U.S. dollar pay. V.2719 |
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One of the highlighted topics: Critical Skills Visa.
- Key Insight: Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast track to working in South Afr... - This matter relates to critical skills visa and its broader implications. - Individuals are advised to seek professional guidance.
Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast trac V.6139 Click here for full article | | One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, became a victim of identity theft in 2012 when fraudulent transactions occurred, using her personal details.
-The Pretoria High Court found that the department of home affairs had violated constitutional rights without due process. -Only half of Lawyers for Human Rights` test group has been unblocked, while 385 000 identities remain blocked nationwide. -LHR appeals extension, urges affected people to seek help now.
Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) are intensifying pressure on the department of home affairs over the national ID-blocking crisis, accusing the state of acting too slowly to unblock qualifying individuals despite a landmark court ruling.
In January last year, the Pretoria High Court found that the department`s practice of blocking IDs without due process was unlawful and unconstitutional. One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, a Swati citizen and South African permanent resident since 1998, fell victim to identity theft in 2012 when fraudsters used her personal details.
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Airport Immigration Alert 25. Aug. 2025 SA Migration | | Airport Immigration Alert 25. Aug. 2025 SA Migration |
The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.
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A New Zealand mother and her 6-year-old son released from US immigration custody after being detained for weeks 25. Aug. 2025 CNN | | High Court upholds corporate visa refusal: Implications for businesses 25. Aug. 2025 Biz Community |
A Washington state mother and her 6-year-old son have been released after spending more than three weeks in US immigration detention due to a brief trip to Canada and a small paperwork mistake, her attorney told CNN on Saturday.
Sarah Shaw, a New Zealand citizen who has lived legally in the US since she arrived in 2021, was detained at the Blaine, Washington, Customs and Border Protection checkpoint when returning home after dropping her two oldest children off at the Vancouver airport for a flight to visit their grandparents in New Zealand. Shaw, 33, chose the flight out of Vancouver because it was direct and she didn`t want her children to have to navigate a layover alone, her attorney Minda Thorward, told CNN.
V.6130 Click here for full article | | On 22 July 2025, the Gauteng High Court dismissed Sitrusrand Boerdery`s review of the Department of Employment and Labour`s refusal to issue a Working Conditions and Salary Benchmarking Certificate, an essential precondition for obtaining corporate visas under the Immigration Act.
Acting Judge Kekana AJ held that the Department`s decision was lawful, rational and procedurally fair. This judgment illustrates how businesses can - and must - structure their corporate visa applications to meet statutory requirements, and how legal practitioners should prepare robust review challenges when administrative authorities decline to recommend foreign-work permits.
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US faces 9.4bn dollars tourism loss from new 250dollars visa fee targeting African countries 25. Aug. 2025 businessinsider | | Airport Immigration Alert 21. Aug. 2025 SA Migration |
The United States could forfeit an estimated 9.4 billion dollars in visitor spending over the next three years following the introduction of a new 250 dollars `visa integrity fee,` according to industry groups, who warn the policy risks undermining tourism and costing thousands of jobs. The United Statesâ decision to introduce a 250 dollars `visa integrity fee` on international visitors has triggered sharp criticism from the global tourism industry, with officials warning that the measure could deter millions of travellers and cost the U.S. economy billions. The 250dollar `visa integrity fee,` part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed on July 4, 2025, will take effect later this year. According to immigration law firm Envoy Global, it applies to all nonimmigrant visa holders which include students, tourists, temporary workers, and business visitors particularly from African countries. V.6132 Click here for full article | | The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.
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ARRESTED & UNDOCUMENTED: WHAT ARE YOUR OPTIONS? 20. Aug. 2025 SA Migration | | E-Hailing & Scooter Drivers in South Africa â` Why Being LEGAL is CRUCIAL! 20. Aug. 2025 SA Migration |
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