THE PAIN OF QUEUING FOR A STUDY VISA

Source: Swazi Observer, 07/01/2018

48 hours queuing is no guarantee for a visa or study permit at SA
High commission says Nelisiwe Mabuza who started queuing on Tuesday
morning at 2am and only got her documents on Thursday after going
through trying conditions.
Mabuza, having brought the requirements and filled in the forms;
believed by the end of the working hours of Wednesday she would be in
possession of her study visa. It had never crossed her mind that she
would spend three days and three nights without a proper bath, meal
and sleep as she had to queue, quarrel with the police, and create
lists for the 119 people who came after her and shout until she lost
her voice. As that was not enough torture, she had to serve as the
Commission’s enquiries point or receptionist before she could finally
get her documents. On the first day, she believed she was going to
be the first to see the door of the High Commission based on that she
had been at the premises by 2am. However, to her disappointment there
were those who had spent the New Year’s Day queuing who would
subsequently be the first when the Commission opened at 8am. Since
they were over 55 people (the maximum taken per day) it meant she
would not set foot on the High Commission’s offices by the closing
time on Tuesday.
“They only allowed the first 50 and that was it and we were left
outside and we could not even see the door of the High Commission, we
waited outside until their closing time,” she narrated.
She then decided to camp after the closure of the office where she
was then allocated a ticket indicating that she would be position 65
on Wednesday which meant she was again not going to make it to the
offices the next day as she would also be among the 15 left out.
Nonetheless, she decided to stay outside the New Mall where the
offices are housed to ensure that those who would be joining the
queue whether in the night or in the wee hours of Wednesday were not
confused when she resurfaces at 5am to inform them that she was
position 65.
She had not stayed long before the police came to dismiss her
together with the other over a hundred students who had camped
outside the mall queuing. She tried reasoning with the police
narrating her ordeal but in vain. The police said they were not
allowed to spend a night there but should seek accommodation
elsewhere while offering the police station to those without an
alternative. As a result she had to spend a night at the police
station. By 5am on Wednesday, she returned to the New Mall to join
the queue with 76 others who had already been given cards indicating
their positions. About 10 people had alleged gained entry through the
lift and jumped the line. “This was evident in that from the official
queue only 40 people managed to make it in and the rest of us were
left out for the day. That is when we invited the police and created
a list that would be used on Thursday. I then made three copies, one
for the security who helps us in the queue, another for the police
while I kept the original,” she said. By 9pm on Wednesday her list
had 119 people who had registered for the Thursday submission. Since
the police had dispersed them the previous night she was already
getting ready to vacate the premises with her hoarse voice after
having to explain to each everyone on the list how the queues work
and requirements owing to what she had learnt in the past two days.
failed
On Thursday morning there was a squabble as the personnel from the
Commission failed to recognise the others who were on the list save
for those who had already been allocated the cards. Mabuza finally
made her way since she had brought with her all the necessary
requirements. Unfortunately, nearly 20 people had to be turned back
despite being recognised as having queued for days and making it to
the first 50 as it appeared that they had not complied with some of
the requirements.
Most of them contested that these were minor and could be done in
less than an hour and failed to understand why they were not allowed
to sort them and resubmit.
They were however, denied and the security personnel had a hard time
as some wanted to sort them within the compound of which 19 were
forced out while one female student somehow managed to address the
noted requirements within the compound. Mabuza and those in the her
list are not the only people who had gone through such difficulty
trying to obtain the visa or study permit. there has been an influx
as thousands have been for the past two months flocking the High
Commission to the extent that they had been spending nights just like
Mabuza.
Requirements
The three common requirements that the students failed to meet were
to provide a three-month bank statement with a minimum of E10 000,
providing ‘certified’ copies of documents and to provide ‘court
orders’.
These are the same requirements which the students say are not
clearly stated, new to them and not communicated to the institutions
of higher learning.
For instance, a third-year student from the University of Cape Town
lamented on the ambiguity of two requirements that he had been turned
back after he had failed to meet. In one section, the requirement is
clear when the documents have to be appended a stamp from the
institution while on another section the same requirement is stated
as certified copy. The latter is then interpreted to mean the copies
of those documents have to be certified by the office of the DC or
the police yet it means they should be stamped by the institutions
issuing them.
This therefore brings confusing to the students as they learn about
this the hard way when they are turned back to South Africa to get
their documents stamped. This is not only a cost of time and money
but also means they have to come back and spend nights in the queue.
Another student said she could not understand the requirement of the
court order and was turned back after it was explained to her that
it’s an affidavit that was more like an authority from her parents
allowing her to study in the neighbouring country that needed to be
approved in court.
One of the students who is doing his second year at Wits University
said he was turned back twice for a confusion brought by a change in
the requirements concerning fingerprint and police clearance which he
said was short notice.
“On the second time I was turned back because I had lost a passport
size photo and tomorrow (Friday) they won’t be working as it is a
holiday which means I have to come back on Sunday night (tonight) if
I am to make it to the first 50 on Monday morning. The sad part is
registration begins on the 28th and ends on February 2, mind you I
still must go to Momentum to sort the medical aid,” he lamented.
Other students suggested that the police should come to the rescue
and assist them. Responding on the same issue on the weekend before
Christmas, the Minister of foreign Affairs Magwagwa Gamedze pleaded
for understanding from residents. The minister said his ministry was
constantly engaging the South African government in a bid to find a
way to make the situation favourable to locals.
Minister blames Swazi students
The minister, when called on Friday said the discussions aimed at
finding a lasting solution were ongoing citing that they had
scheduled to meet on Wednesday but said Swazis were to blame.
Gamedze said Swazis failed to comply with the requirements of the
Commission saying they did not honour an arrangement done for them in
the previous years which was aimed at easing the fingerprints
requirement.
He revealed that the ministry had last year negotiated that the
commission should accept receipts for fingerprints and process their
study permits and the students should bring the actual south African
police clearance later but out of over 2 000 only four students
submitted the police clearances.
“The commission had waved the clearance last year and we told the
students to submit the police clearance once it was out but out of
over 2 000 only four submitted them, others only submitted the
receipts and got their permits and forgot about the arrangement. The
other issue is that of the medical aid. it is a requirement they
should comply with, but some do not want to understand that,” he said.
The minister said they will be negotiating from a weak point this
year following the unfaithfulness of the students. Responding on the
matter of queues and vigils he said there were people who had taken
advantage of the Swazis and introduced their own cards and lists
which are not considered by the Commission.

“There is no need for people to sleep over there, they just need to
get the cards from the High Commission which are stamped, and they
will be told their return dates if they won’t be attended the same
day. They should be sure the cards are from the Commission not those
produced by others. If they need clarity on the requirements and
facing challenges they should ask the ministry for guidance,” he
added.