via Zimbabweans press Mohadi on permits – NewsDay Zimbabwe. 20 June 2014
CHIEF REPORTER
The meeting has been tentatively set for the South African capital Pretoria next Thursday.
Chairperson of the newly-formed Zimbabwe Community in South Africa Ngqabutho Mabhena yesterday said his group wanted to compare notes with Mohadi before he engages his South African counterpart Malusi Gigaba today.
“We had a meeting on Wednesday with the Zimbabwean embassy in South Africa to compare notes on the current new visa regime,” Mabhena said.
“During that engagement, we presented our proposals to embassy staff which we want to also share with Mohadi. We proposed that the South African government should consider issuing a one or two-year migrant worker permit which could be renewed.
“We also proposed that when the permits are renewed, Zimbabweans should not be forced to apply for them while in Zimbabwe, but here in South Africa. This is to ensure that they safeguard their jobs,” said Mabhena in a telephone interview from Johannesburg.
Last month, Mabhena held informal discussions with the ruling tripartite alliance, African National Congress’s international relations department and the Congress of South African Trade Unions and South African Communist Party over the controversial new permit regime.
The new stringent immigration regulations would see Zimbabweans and other foreign nationals who overstay being banned from entering South Africa as it tightens immigration regulations.
All along, those who overstayed were allowed to re-enter South Africa and apply for permits and visas after being made to pay fines. From now those who overstay their allocated time would be banned for a period ranging from one to five years.
The South African government has also released a list of critical skills that country needs wherein foreigners are qualified to apply for work visas, but the challenge is that most Zimbabweans living in that country have no special skills.
This means that they would be left at the mercy of immigration authorities and may face deportation.
Of the Zimbabweans living in South Africa, 250 000 who benefited from the Special Dispensation for Zimbabweans programme are not necessarily in possession of any critical skills, meaning that they could be left out in the 35 000 critical job list released by the neighbouring country’s government.
COMMENTS
“Zimbabweans should not be forced to apply for them while in Zimbabwe, but here in South Africa. ” Good idea can see if they are done in zim there will be numerous delays plus staff asking for bribes under the counter
It is unfair and indeed a great hypocrisy for any Zanupf or Zimbabwean government official to try to beg the South African government to keep Zimbabweans in South Africa. Zanupf says the ANC has failed to liberate blacks and them Zanupf have economically empowered their own people here in Zimbabwe. Why must a Minister engage a foreign government to keep its nationals who have been empowered,given farms, mines everything? A law has been passed giving them the right to just move into a factory or any business and be the key share holder albeit without paying a cent! Individuals or other organizations must be left alone to do the negotiations to solve their problems in South Africa. Mohadi should just organize buses, planes, and trains to load Zimbabweans back to Zimbabwe where “there is plenty” for all those threatened and desperate Zimbos.
You are very mad things are going very good for you thus why you speak like this.
Sad that we have to beg to remain in our neighbours’ country. Just shows how we have suffered a mental problem . We dont have a right to be in South Africa. Its a priviledge and we do not even realize this. Lets build our own country and stop begging.
The usual zimbabwean politics of entitlement. RSA has the right to apply its laws. Go to Chikurubi and see foreigners incarcerated for simple overstaying in Zim. Zimbabwe is very cruel on foreigners but we want to cry the loudest! kure uko!
one cannot build a country with thieving scumbag idiots who only care about themselves
petal u always says idiot bcz u a stupid upset minded u dont come foward with solution
petal u always says idiot bcz u a stupid upset minded u dont come foward with solution