South Africa Zimbabweans Demand to See Chombo

Source: Zim Eye, 08/07/2015

THE Zimbabwe Community in South Africa (ZCSA) is seeking an audience
with newly-appointed Home Affairs minister Ignatius Chombo to apprise
him on "sticking immigration challenges".
ZCSA is an organisation assisting Zimbabweans to comply with the new
South African permit system and immigration requirements.
The lobby group`s chairperson Ngqabutho Mabhena told Southern Eye in
an interview yesterday they were keen to interact with Chombo though
the Zimbabwean embassy in South Africa.
"We would like a meeting with him through the Zimbabwe embassy to
brief him about the work we do and solicit his views," Mabhena said.
He said ZCSA was grateful to former Home Affairs minister Kembo Mohadi
who was instrumental in "thrashing out a fair permits deal" for
Zimbabwean immigrants in the neighbouring country.
The permits issue has remained a thorny one in the aftermath of South
Africa`s setting of new regulations compelling Zimbabweans to
compulsorily register.
South Africa first issued the special permits in 2010 to regularise
the stay of illegal Zimbabwean immigrants in that country that
conservative figures put at around two million.
The permits expired last year before the special dispensation was
extended to 2017 and permit holders were required to apply for renewals.
Zimbabweans whose applications for work and business permits were
turned down were recently given a lifeline after appeals.
The South African government is expected to issue Zimbabweans with the
new special permits by end of July.
South Africa`s Home Affairs department has reportedly processed more
than 100 000 special dispensation permits for Zimbabweans since
October last year.
The permits were given to Zimbabweans who at the time held the
Zimbabwean Special Dispensation Permit (ZSDP) valid until December 31
2017.
A ZSDP permit allows Zimbabweans to remain in South Africa and apply
for a visa relevant to terms of stay in that country.
Millions of Zimbabweans are scattered across the globe fleeing
political, economic and social upheaval at home, with the majority of
them in South Africa.-SouthernEye