via Bulawayo24 NEWS | SA, Zim ministers fail to meet over permits 01 July 2014 by Staff reporter
THE scheduled meeting on new stringent immigration laws involving a newly-formed Zimbabwe community in South Africa, Home Affairs minister Kembo Mohadi and his South African counterpart, Malusi Gigaba, failed to materialise last Friday and will now be held this week.
Most Zimbabweans in the neighbouring country are in panic mode after the introduction of immigration regulations that would see them and other foreign nationals who overstay being banned from entering South Africa. Ngqabutho Mabhena, chairperson of the Zimbabwe community in South Africa, yesterday said they were hopeful that the two ministers would meet this week.
“The meeting of the ministers on Friday did not take place because Gigaba was not available, so Mohadi did not make the trip to South Africa. We expect that meeting to take place this week,” Mabhena said.
Last week, the Zimbabwe community in South Africa hinted that the special permits issued four years ago were not bound by the new immigration laws that were announced by the South African government.
“It has been clarified to us that the special permits issued four years ago are not under the new immigration laws that were announced by the South African government,” Mabhena said.
“Zimbabweans who are holders of special permits should not panic over the new immigration laws. The issue of the special dispensation announced four years ago will be announced by the minister of Home Affairs in consultation with Cabinet whether the special dispensation for Zimbabweans should be cancelled or extended. From this high level meeting that we have just had, we are more convinced that these permits will be renewed, but we shall continue engaging the government and our partners.
“Those whose permits have already expired should hold on and allow these engagements with the government to be concluded.”
The South African government has released a list of critical skills that country needs wherein foreigners are encouraged to apply for work visas, but the challenge would be 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 could face deportation.
Of the Zimbabweans living in South Africa, 250 000 who benefited under the special dispensation for Zimbabweans programme are not necessarily in possession of any critical skills and they could be left out in the 35 000 critical job list released by the neighbouring country’s government.
COMMENTS
What is wrong with the Southern Africans who are still discriminating each other on the basis of state of origin and village of birth. Other parts of Africa are already talking of regional integration where one does not even need a passport to travel around in the region, but just an ID is enough e.g. in ECOWAS member states. It is high time Southern Africa also starts looking forward into the future in agreement with the Pan African vision 2063 rather than dwelling on the colonial demarcations. The truth is though, the so called foreigners without skills are actually doing very good jobs in that country, be they waiters in restaurants or landscape designers (gardeners) in private homes. As a frequent tourist into SA I have always enjoyed their services in restaurants and the beautiful flowers in the gardens. I hope the two Ministers will meet to agree to deregulate some of the very antique immigration laws. Concerned Pan-African
S Africa is not part of Zimbabwe that it needs to discuss its internal policies with our ministers.Do not fool yourselves about these so.called high level meetings which are not likely to change already made policies in Cape Town.
The fact that they have highlighted the skills they require shows that they mean business in getting rid of the unwanted persons within their territory.The mentioned figures clearly show that only about 10-15% of Zimbabweans in that country maybe needed[assuming no other foreigners apply for those special skills which is impossible in reality].
My advice to my countrymen still hoping for miracles to happen should think deeply before its too late to come home peacefully with some personal dignity.
Thats very true our brothers and sisters should just forget about the renewal of the permits and have a plan B,( going back home ) whatever these people say always stands and Never go back on their word
Mixed Race
You can foregt my friend. Southern African is one big, big home for every Southern African – the borders notwithstanding. You can shout as much as you like – there will always be foreigners in each and every Southern African country; South Africa is no exception. This is not new; its been like that long before you were born; during the days of the vicious apartheid system and today it continues gathering momentum. It does not matter that you kill and mete out mob justice to foreigners, you will never stop it. Your hatred is inconsequential to these people – they simply dont give damn – they dont care!
If only they would be honest with the ordinary people and not keep them in limbo but this is the norm on the continent refereed to as african peoples time
This southward migration started a long time ago and it is just a waste of resources to try to stop it now…..We could rather try to control the criminal element if any like false identification and marriages of convinience etc.ZIMBABWEANS WANTING TO REMAIN IN RSA SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO DO SO FORTHWITH, straight-off.
There is nothing for the Ministers to discuss or any officials to do anything except to arrange for transport. Zimbabweans based in South Africa must on their own argue their case there without the involvement of government officials.
They should stop wasting precious resources on trying to stem a tide they cannot stop. The fact that people are prepared to be eaten alive by lions in the Limpopo basin or to drown in river Ngulukudela/Limpopo, tells you that deportation is no solution.
There will always be foreigners, legal or illegal in any country. It doesnt matter what the authorities do. America is a far much well resourced country but look at the number of illegal Mexicans finding their way in there.
A long standing solution is either federating the Southern African states so they can all subscribe to similar political or economic policies and systems that facilitate faster economic development or formulating a way of policy coordination instead of one country grabbing farm land that causes poverty and hunger and while on the other hand other countries following more moderate policies on these same issue; that reslt in econmic development for their people – thus attracting those from the poorer parts of the region.
They should get rid of this “sovereignity issue” so that countries or the SADC can intervene directly in each other’s countries to stabilise the situation. Otherwise, a hungry man knows no borders!!
please mani can you spare us on this.
Who gives a damn! Nobody.
I have reiterated and continue to argue that SA will never renew those permits-skills or no skills.Please, introducing the new Critical Skills Visa is not renewal of work permits issued unconditionally during the special dispensation in 2010! The reason why SA will not renew those permits and why she has come up with the new critical skills visa, especially in respect of Zimbabweans, is to discontinue their stay in SA before they reach FIVE CONTINUOUS YEARS, attainment of which would see all of them qualify for PERMANENT RESIDENCE PERMIT.Does SA still need Zimbabweans? The answer is yes but SA cannot afford to make all of them permanent residents, hence she changed from work permit to Skills Visa because the law says one must have stayed for 5 CONTINUOUS yrs on the SAME permit to qualify for PR.Hpe i have clarified enough, so forget about the pending Zim Minister’s talks with his SA counterpart bla bla bla and start sending your asserts and children home, thereafter you start ducking and diving to survive, kusvika mudhara ese eZANU PF, namaiMujuru vapera kufa!!
I have reiterated and continue to argue that SA will never renew those permits-skills or no skills.Please, introducing the new Critical Skills Visa is not renewal of work permits issued unconditionally during the special dispensation in 2010! The reason why SA will not renew those permits and why she has come up with the new critical skills visa, especially in respect of Zimbabweans, is to discontinue their stay in SA before they reach FIVE CONTINUOUS YEARS, attainment of which would see all of them qualify for PERMANENT RESIDENCE PERMIT.Does SA still need Zimbabweans? The answer is yes but SA cannot afford to make all of them permanent residents, hence she changed from work permit to Skills Visa because the law says one must have stayed for 5 CONTINUOUS yrs on the SAME permit to qualify for PR.Hpe i have clarified enough, so forget about the pending Zim Minister’s talks with his SA counterpart bla bla bla and start sending your asserts and children home, thereafter you start ducking and diving to survive, kusvika mudhara ese eZANU PF, namaiMujuru vapera kufa!!
WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT GIVES YOU THE TENACITY TO SPAK WITH SUCH CERTAINTY AS IF YOU NEVER WENT TO SCHOOL? YOU SHOULD PERHAPS NOTE THAT EVEN RENEWAL OF THE PERMIT FIRST TIME AROUND WAS NEGOTIATED AFTER SOUTH AFRICA HAD DETERMINED THAT ALL ZIMBABWEANS SHOULD RETURN AND APPLY FROM THEIR COUNTRY OF ORIGIN. ONE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SOUTH AFRICA AND ZIMBABWE IS THAT SOUTH AFRICANS ARE NOT THE TYPE OF HEARTLESS PEOPLE LIKE WHAT YOU FIND AMONG THE VERY DARK SKINNED AFRICANS BEYOND THE LIMPOPO, SOUTH AFRICA HAS LEADERS AND PEOPLE WITH WHAT THEY CALL UBUNTU, UNLIKE THOSE FROM UP NORTH WHO PRETEND TO KNOW EVERYTHING WHEN BASICALLY THEY KNOW NEXT TO NOTHING……AND AS WE SPEAK, YOU GUYS HAVE NOTHING TO SHOW FOR ALL THE ACADEMIC DEGREES YOU’VE GOT EXCEPT, OF COURSE, YOUR DEAR OLD SOVEREIGNTY WHICH YOU HOLD SO DEAR. ONE OF THESE DAYS WE SHALL CLOSE OUR SOUTH AFRICAN BORDER AND LET YOU EAT YOUR SOVEREIGNTY KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKHAHAHAHAHAHAZIMBABWE (A PLACE OF HUNGER, DISEASE AND CONFUSION) ITS BETTER YOU GUYS FROM ZIM STOP WRITING ON PLATFORMS LIKE THIS, YOU ARE AN EMBARRASING LOT
YOU HAVE DESTROYED ALL YOUR INDUSTRIES, SUPRISINGLY, WITH NOTHING GOING ON IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR (EXCEPT OF COURSE YOGHURT AND MAAS FROM THE DAIRY IN MAZOE) YOU CLOSE THE IMPORTATION OF BASICS AND STILL EXPECT THE WHOLE POPULATION TO BUY LOCAL FROM NON EXISTENT FIRMS. ECONOMICS WORKS IN SIMPLE PRE-DETERMINED WAYS. WITH THE TYPE OF EDUCATION YOU PURPORT TO POSSESS, YOU GUYS SHOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER THAN THE WHOLE OF AFRICA PUT TOGETHE SEEING AS YOU HAVE TAKEN OVER YOUR LAND, BUT ALAS, HAVING TAKEN OVER PRODUCTIVE LAND FROM FORMER USERS, YOU GO ON TO DRINK BEER THE WHOLE DAY IN THOSE SMALL PLOTS YOU SUBDIVIDED AMONGST YOURSELVES. HOW ON EARTH DO YOU EXPECT INDUSTRY TO FUNCTION WHEN AGRICULTURE IS SIX FEET UNDERGROUND? YOU ZIMBABWEANS NEED TO SIT DOWN AS A COLLECTIVE AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO PUT YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER OTHERWISE THOSE ZIMBABWEANS WHO HAD THE COURAGE TO ABANDON ZIMBABWE FOR GREENER PASTURES ARE HEAD AND SHOULDERS ABOVE THE REST WHO REMAINED BEHIND TO GIRATE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE EACH TIME YOU SINGAPOREAN CHIEF RETURNS WITH A BUTTON STICK AND HELMET TO WHIP YOU INTO LINE – PATHETIC