Gigaba urges Basotho to get SA papers

Source: African News Agency, 07/09/2016

Rustenburg - The end-September deadline set for Lesotho nationals to
regularise their stay in South Africa by acquiring work permits will
not be extended, Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba cautioned on
Wednesday.


"We're now close to closing the Lesotho Special Permit (LSP)
application process. We had announced that this process would close at
the end of June. We then extended it to the end of September.


We're sticking to that end of September deadline for the
closing of the applications," Gigaba told reporters at a visa and
permit facilitation centre in Rustenburg.


"We expect that the adjudication process and the issuing of the
permits will take place until December. At the present moment, we have
about 40 000 who have successfully filed their online applications. We
also have more people who have submitted their applications but have
not paid. We will see how we can accommodate them."


About 66 000 Lesotho nationals have applied but the 40 000 have
completed the application process by making a payment to the South
African authorities.


Gigaba said "there will be no further extensions" once the application
phase is concluded later this month.


The South African home affairs department, working in conjunction with
their Lesotho counterparts, have made it possible for Basotho based in
various parts of South Africa to apply for their smart identity cards
and passports without returning to Maseru. Gigaba said the 40 000
successful applications prove there has been "an enthusiastic response
from Lesotho nationals based in South Africa for this LSP".


Lesotho Home Affairs Minister Lekgetho Rakuoane said the LSP project
had helped his country to update the database of its citizens'
population register, incorporating those working, studying or living
in South Africa.


"Our database issue now quite improved. There are a lot of people who
have been added into the database. This LSP platform has opened that
opportunity for us," said Rakuoane.


The Lesotho minister saluted Pretoria authorities for the "gesture of
goodwill". "It has been a huge relief which has been welcomed. This is
indeed a gesture of goodwill," said Rakuoane.


In June 2016, Gigaba's department announced a three-month extension of
the LSP applications phase, following a request by the Lesotho
authorities.


Maseru has deployed staff at various centres in South Africa to
facilitate birth registration and identity documents enrollment.
African News Agency