SA Migration International

News Articles

South Africa: Zimbabweans in Despondent Wait for New SA Permits

Source: CAJ News, 17/08/2018

Johannesburg ï¿½` THE euphoria that greeted the announcement by South
Africa regarding the extension of permits for thousands of Zimbabweans
has turned into despair for scores of the migrants who are yet to
receive their documents, almost a year after the process began.
The uncertainty comes amid a lack of clarity after the exercise, which
was initially anticipated to be concluded in a matter of weeks, has
dragged on for 11 months.
While some of the estimated 200 000 applicants in the Zimbabwe
Exemption Permit (ZEP) have received their permits, the wait continues
for a majority who are yet to get the much-needed document to enable
them to work, study or run businesses in the neighbouring country.
`This year has been a horrible one without my permit as I have lost my
job at a private firm as management say I am in the country
illegally,` said an applicant who declined to be named, fearing this
could jeopardize his prospects of getting a new permit.
`It has been a long and frustrating wait for the document. I applied
last October but there has been no progress at all. This worsens the
stress from the loss of my job,` he added.
Human rights advocates this week told CAJ News Africa how some
applicants had lost their jobs and bank accounts in the wake of their
failure by authorities to regularise their stay in South Africa.
`The atmosphere among applicants is now one of despondency and
desperation, especially as some of them are now being fired from work.
Others are also having their bank accounts frozen,` said Advocate
Gabriel Shumba of the High Court of South Africa.
`However, we are not aware what the reason for the delay is. Home
Affairs has of late not been directly engaging with stakeholders,
which poses serious problems of communication,` Shumba continued.
He added: `We have sought engagement with the Department (Home
Affairs) over this and await their response. That notwithstanding, we
have also raised these concerns in writing and they were sent directly
to the Minister and Director General.`
Malusi Gigaba is the minister while Thulani Mavuso is the Acting
Director General following the recent resignation of Mkhuseli Apleni
from the unstable department.
Three ministers have been at the helm of the department since the ZEP
exercise resumed last September.
Hlengiwe Mkhize, who had earlier succeeded Gigaba, was minister when
the announcement of ZEP was made. Ayanda Dlodlo succeeded her last
October but President Cyril Ramaphosa re-deployed her in February,
paving way for the return of Gigaba.
It is believed the chopping and changing of personnel has impacted on
the conclusion of the exercise.
`We are worried about the delays in issuing out ZEP to applicants,`
said Ngqabutho Mabhena, Chairman of the Zimbabwean Community in South
Africa.
`We were told that the process takes about eight weeks now it has
taken almost eight months (Ed`s Note: eleven months). We have engaged
the manager of ZEP, who keeps on saying its work in progress,` Mabhena
added.
Visa Facilitation Services (VFS) Global, the outsourcing and
technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic
missions, manages the ZEP applications.
The company said it would be unable to comment on enquiries by this
publication as the Department of Home Affairs `cannot guarantee the
outcome or the length of time an application takes to process.`
`Neither can it guarantee the return of decision within a certain
timeframe,` VFS Global stated.
The company, which accepted ZEP applications at ten offices around
South Africa, said this was due to the fact that applications were
assessed individually and `individual circumstances` could mean
processing times might vary and result in longer decision times.
`Therefore you are requested to wait until a decision on the
application is taken since VFS Global does not have any control over
the processing time,` a spokesperson stated.
Thabo Mokgola, the Home Affairs spokesperson, contacted for comment,
said, `Kindly note that the Department will be convening a media
briefing to provide a detailed update on the ZEP process.`
ZEP was put in place of the Zimbabwean Special Permit (ZSP), which
started in 2014.
Applications for the new permit were accepted until February. The
permit is issued for a maximum period of four years, effective from
January 1, 2018 and expiring on December 31, 2021, notwithstanding the
date of application.
South Africa first issued special permits for Zimbabweans in 2010
under the Dispensation for Zimbabweans Project (DZP), which saw about
245 000 nationals secure the permits.

Search

Latest News

This was revealed in the 2025 Easter border operations report, which saw border management authority officials, saps officers and home affairs workers intensify efforts to prevent illegal travel into the country over the holiday period.JOHANNESBURG - Zimbabwean nationals have been identified as the leading individuals attempting to illegally gain entry into South Africa.... Read more...

THE High Court has nullified the re-registration of a birth certificate for a child born out of wedlock, ordering the Registrar-General to strike it from the records.This ruling declared the birth certificate invalid, questioning the legality of attributing paternity to a deceased man decades after his death.The dispute arose from a contested inheritance involving the late Lazarus Mkuduâs estate.Teresiah Mkudu, the applicant, sought a declaratory order to invalidate Ruvimbo Manyondaâs birth certificate, issued nearly 20 years after Mkuduâs death.... Read more...

Residents from 34 countries can now apply for a visa to South Africa online. There are now 34 countries that can apply for a visa to South Africa online, which National Treasury says will help attract more tourists and skills into the country.This was trumpeted in Wednesday`s Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) as being one of the key successes of Operation Vulindlela. Operation Vulindlela is a joint initiative of the Presidency and National Treasury to assist in the acceleration of critical reforms needed to accelerate the economy.... Read more...