Zim, South Africa ready to work together on migration

Source: Business Day, 20/03/2017

SOUTH Africa will exercise its right to determine who comes and
resides into its shores cognisant of its obligations to the region
Home Affairs minister Melusi Gigaba said at the weekend.


With millions of Zimbabweans having escaped economic political and
social upheaval to seek refuge in the neighbouring country Chombo told
the conference that his government was willing to work with its
counterparts in the region to stem the tide of illegal
migration.


South Africa must not look at regional migration as a burden but as a
development opportunity in the context of regional integration
intra-African trade and a dynamic region and continent. Working
together we can and will manage international migration for the
development of our country region and continent Gigaba said.


He added: Politically a countries ability to determine who may enter
and exit its territory, and on what terms, is a core aspect of
national sovereignty which all of the 200 or so countries in the
international State system retain.


Gigaba said his country was ready to work with its neighbours to
control migration as South Africa had become the centre of migration
in the sub-region.


South Africa has become a major destination transit and entry point to
the continent and the world. The country has become a preferred
destination for investors. This has led to major conglomerates in the
manufacturing and service industries establishing their regional
offices and/or assembly plants in South Africa Gigaba added.


Chombo weighed in: Zimbabwe is also ready to work with its neighbour
for a one-stop border post and stop border jumpers.


Zimbabweans working in South Africa remain on edge as a special
dispensation permit granted in 2014 is set to expire at the end of the
year with no clear indication as to what will happen next.
South Africa according to Gigaba is developing a fresh migration
policy for the next two decades.


The draft policy balances the primary imperatives of economic
development national security international and constitutional
obligations as well as the vision articulated in the Freedom Charter
injunctions that we should as a country seek to live in peace and
friendship with our neighbours Gigaba said.


Tensions remain high between South Africans and immigrants in that
country, amid threats of a possible outbreak of xenophobia that in the
last few years has claimed the lives of dozens of foreigners including
Zimbabweans.


Gigaba noted that regional co-operation would help in stemming the
tide of migration.