SA Migration International

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Zimbabwe nationals in the dark over SA permit status

Source: Business Day, 23/03/2017

Special permits will expire at end of 2017, forcing Zimbabweans to
apply for visas as the â€˜government cannot offer permanent residence to
so manyâ€™
Lobby groups representing Zimbabweans holding special permits said on
Wednesday they were still waiting for clarity from the Department of
Home Affairs on the status of their permits.

Many officials at Home Affairs erroneously believed individuals could
not hold other types of permit while on the special permit, although
holders were only barred from extending or changing conditions of the
same permit while in SA, Zimbabwe Exiles Forum (ZEF) Advocate Gabriel
Shumba said in a statement.

In a joint statement from several groups, representatives of
Zimbabwean special interest groups said they would intensify lobbying
efforts to get clarity from the department, including on the need to
return to Zimbabwe for new forms of documentation, and clarity on
under which circumstances those holding permits could automatically
migrate to new types of visas.

Other concerns include those who lacked certain documentation â€" not
needed for special permits â€" sometimes due to leaving rapidly due to
political violence.

Some 197,000 Zimbabwean nationals hold the three-year Special
Dispensation Permit, which was introduced in 2009 and has undergone
renewals. The Department of Home Affairs has said once the current
permit expires on December 31 2017 this would not be renewed.

At a briefing in February, Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba said
the new permit would not be renewed, and Zimbabweans would need to
apply for other forms of documentation, such as work or study
visas.

"We canâ€™t offer permanent residency for such a high number of people,"
said Gigaba. The government would, however, not take any decision that
would "leave hundreds of thousands of people on the street without
documentation", Gigaba said.

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