Lesotho Special Permits come to an end

Source: Citizen, 24/09/2016

Home affairs says it`s given Basotho nationals enough time to
regularise their stay in SA and no further extension will be allowed.



Despite requests for an extension of the Lesotho Special Permit (LSP)
by members of the Basotho community living in South Africa, the home
affairs department on Friday said the application phase under the
special dispensation would not be extended again.


Some Lesotho nationals and their civic society groups appealed to
Pretoria authorities to extend the LSP application period, citing the
low numbers of Basotho who have so far applied before the project
closes on September 30.


"We have already granted a three-month extension [in June], which
comes to an end on September 30, 2016. We believe that we have granted
ample time for Lesotho nationals to regularise their stay in South
Africa. To this end, there will be no extension granted further," said
Mayihlome Tshwete, Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba`s spokesperson.



Tshwete said the figure of almost 48 000 already approved permits
under the LSP was very significant. Around 400 000 Basotho were
believed to be living in South Africa when the LSP was launched.


"It should be noted that the 400 000 figure was an estimation that was
referred prior to the introduction of the Lesotho Special Permit.


We welcome the latest figure of 47 820 completed
applications. It`s an indication of Lesotho nationals residing in
South Africa who have now regularised their sojourn. This could have
been 47 820 undocumented foreign nationals living in South Africa,"
said Tshwete in a written response to African News Agency.


"It is in our best interest to document every person living in the
country. In addition, due to birth registration and ID application
processes in Lesotho, many nationals who do not reflect on the
country`s national population register were not able to apply for the
LSP."


Tshwete said South Africa had granted "ample time for Lesotho
nationals to regularise their stay in South Africa". To that end,
"there will be no extension granted further".


He said the LSP had progressed well with both governments having
conducted extensive outreach campaigns and promoted this project
fully.


"What heartens us, also, is the fact that through this process, over
600 000 Lesotho nationals have been captured in the Lesotho national
population register," he said.


On Friday, VFS Global chief operations officer for South Africa Jiten
Vyas said a significant increase is now being witnessed in online
applications as the programme wraps up.


Vyas said the LSP project had encountered some problems, which
included the rampant lack of requisite documents by the Basotho based
in South Africa.


"[There is] lack of Lesotho ID cards for applicants who stay in South
Africa. A lot of Lesotho nationals have recently applied for the
Lesotho ID and are yet to receive them. Only once they have received
their ID cards will they start applying for LSP. Also a large amount
of Lesotho Nationals are yet to apply for the Lesotho ID," said Vyas.



"Employers were also reluctant to provide employment letters or
release their worker to take time off to go and apply."


He said VFS Global, the visa application contractor appointed by the
department of home affairs, had also received the requests for an
extension and that feedback had been conveyed to the department.
By Friday, 80 570 applications had been made online while only 48 622
were made at VFS offices.


This week, hundreds of undocumented Basotho were in a last-minute rush
to VFS offices in a bid to beat the September 30 cut-off date.
Refiloe Mehlomakulu of the Basotho civic society group, Mokorotlo oa
Basotho Forum, said throngs of her countrymen had not had the chance
to regularise their stay because they lacked supporting documents
required.
"Our people were not reluctant to apply but the issues centred on the
lack of requisite documents. Basotho nationals did not have birth
certificates and identity documents, ours is a new system," said
Mehlomakulu.
"Many have been in South Africa for around 10 years without
documentation. Now that they have to go back home and apply for birth
certificates, it`s a lengthy process because you`re required to go to
your chief or bring your baptismal certificate. That is what caused
the delays in the response."


South African authorities have already bent over backwards, allowing
the Lesotho government to establish offices at the visa facilitation
centres to enable the Basotho who did not have identity cards and
passports to apply without making the trip to Maseru.


Earlier this month, Gigaba urged the Basotho to regularise their stay
before the deadline.


In June, Gigaba acceded to a request by the Lesotho authorities to
extend the closing date of applications for the LSP in a bid to allow
more people to apply. The initial closing date was June 30 but was
moved by three months to September 30.
– African News Agency (ANA)