South Africa permits D-day 31 March 2014 Southern Eye
SOUTH Africa Home Affairs minister Naledi Pandor is this week expected to provide clarity on the renewal of special permits given to Zimbabwean immigrants as concern grows over the fate of thousands of economic and political refugees in that country.
The Department of Home Affairs announced early this month that the Special Dispensation for Zimbabweans Project (DZP) will come to an end this year.
Those who want to renew work and residency permits will not be allowed to do so while in South Africa.
There is apprehension among the Zimbabwean community in South Africa, believed to be numbering over two million, that fresh attempts to flush them out of the neighbouring country will be intensified.
Organisations representing Zimbabwean immigrants have indicated that they will engage Pretoria on the way forward with MDC’s South African branch saying it was taking up the issue of permits with the authorities.
“In continuing with work previously done by the MDC RSA on this project, the MDC RSA has set up a team to engage various stakeholders and assist Zimbabweans with the renewal of these permits,” the party said in a statement yesterday.
“We will make every effort to engage Zimbabweans in South Africa and provide information on ongoing developments for this project.”
Some organisations are reportedly mulling legal action against the South African government. Zimbabweans without proper documents were given permits under the DZP in 2009.
At the time South Africa also halted the mass deportation of Zimbabwean illegal immigrants.
Pandor last week said she had obtained Cabinet approval for the new system, which she is expected to outline tomorrow.
“In this regard, Cabinet agreed that the permit holders will be expected to reapply for their permits in their country of origin,” she said last week.
The Migrant Workers’ Association of South Africa says it will be going to court to challenge the move by Pretoria saying they had information that the permits would not be renewed once they apply from Zimbabwe.
COMMENTS
Whilst no one locally wants them back there are no Zimbabwe refugees any where in the world they are just con artists after hand outs.
Were I in charge I would not want this rubbish back in South Africa either!
The love in your heart for your fellow suffering Zimbabwean is very touching Apol! I will most certainly be praying for you. Do you not feel a thing?
Two plus million rubbish! You are the rubbish here. What right do you have to tell starving Zimbabweans that they cannot seek a better life out of the hell hole that your hero has created from the once bright star of Africa. Right now the hated EU is feeding millions of other starving Zimbabweans that have been unable to flee. Hamba.
Apolitical, you really are a low bred bit of trash. It is your geriatric murdering fool of a President and his bunch of bootlicking followers who have ruined the country and driven about a third of the population out of the country. Now they rely on the money that the Diaspora remits to their relatives from all over the world to keep the disaster of an economy just staggering along. You had better hope that the South Africans do not throw out the refugees as then there will literally no hard currency being circulated. Then we will see who gets paid at the end of the month! Zanu imbecile.
We are going to marry there daughters and be married to their sons and life will continue sparking. Until sanity prevails in that country who cares about going back.
And having gone thru this kind of life for 4 years, Zimbabwean in South Africa are now used to gun life, Marikana type of protest and courage. The move will be a bad taste to a despot in Harare. Because “if he does not leave peacefully, this time HE will leave by force”.
@Jenandebvu
at least now you know how it feels to live in a free country where you can do what ever you want when ever you want. Go back home now and force the government there to open things up by protest. You are a majority and so you will win at the end no matter the cost.
Change is not as easy as that.we really miss home.we are not here to stay.but dont forget that life is a journey commrades
Why does the minister even bother to provide clarity because she is doing what we’ve put he there to do. to the Migrant Workers’ Association of South Africa, we’ve opened our hearts for all of you for so long but understand that this is now time for you to GO HOME.
I really don’t think there can be a court giving foreigners a right to stay in a country without papers.
You better go back home and apply to come here and we will then decide on whether we accept you or not. All of those that want to stay here for jobs are not going to be given permits since we want to put South Africans first.
Zimbabweans this is your chance to revolt agains your government and demand change.
How many pple do you think are going to go back? A lot have been staying without permits. If they dont want to renew them here in SA then most Zimbabwean are going to be working without permits.
A true south African does not echo such shallow minded utterances you must be ashamed of yourself, masipanyana votsek
@Proudly South African one thinks back when we were helping you. What goes around comes around.
@Proudly South African The memory of an ant.
Proudly south african look at both sides of the coin ,It was your president who caused this ,He chaired sadc during zimbabwe s elections, and he was quick to erndose that shame vote a woman who is in the s. a. government was forced to tell a lie and even apologise after being called [STREET WOMAN]by robert mugabe ,I dont care what proudly south african thinks but your president is the worst of all.
its so sad to leave mzansi , what are we going to do in Zim?How are we going to pay our children’s school fees? Anyway , if they want us to leave we will leave. But thank you for the four years permits you gave to us may God bless all South African for their king hearts.
sad news to all zimbabweans. dnt worry guyz everything will be alright jus keep on praying God will answer your prayers.
God is for all of us Blessie , isolution bazayithola yokuthi bangasisiza njani. Sizoqhubeka sithandaza.
Its sad and most banks and clothing shops will loose billions of rands, we have loans and accounts who is going to pay all those debts
Yes, lots of shops will loose a lot of money, even government will also loose, I am not sure if the government want to take a risk. They will probably renew our Permits but under strict orders, maybe they will ask us to pay .
i’m very much worried if they don’t allow us to renew work permits zimbabwe situation is hectic.
We are gonna stay in SA love it or don’t. Deporting 2million Zimbabeans is gonna be a very costly and silly exercise.
@Proudly SAfrican don’t say that to an african person remember they are also South Africans who went to Zimbabwe long time ago like my Granfather was a South African who was working for Cecil John Rhodes and they were dumped there until all his children followed them to Zim that’s were my father and my mother may some of them you know them but being the case they were born in Zim that is why you have hatred to Zim people I’m a South African born in Zimbabwe I will not go any way its been now 10yrs staying in SA and I tried hard to get permanent resident but I failed to get it only 2009 I got permit then u think we will just live like that live all my belongs which I worked for no
Lets just wait for the voting day, after that they will let us know how are they going to renew our permits, but we must deffinatly pray that ANC wins,
We Zimbos,born out of the struggle,lived in the struggle,the struggle still continues,’sophephelaphi’
Ulisho uliphinde mfowethu, kunzima.
once when the situation in Zimbabwe was better ,Zambia was crying things were not that good ,but the Zimbabweans never knew that problems were heading to them ,now soon it will be your turn south Africa ,take it or liv it try and be alittle more careful of what you say ,few years back we used to buy bread with on R2 ,how much is it now be careful I say once again we will soon need their help ,I say in no time
Only God knows what is the next step forZimbabweans
wait a minute guyz, God is for all of us, dnt celebrate yet that Zimbabweans will go back to their country, what goes around turn around, at least Zimbos are used to kinds of difficulties what will happen to “proudly South Africans ” when the ball rolls to there cot, guyz be reasonable we need to assist each other here.
Let me tell u one thing people to have an id doesn’t mean u forget your home andall these people who are concerned about zim issue are zimbabweans no southafrican can be worried about what is going to happen for zimbos but what I can tell zimbos can be deported today tomorrow morning is back who is the losser at end people owe the banks cars clothes etc who is the losser people got kids your sister s will suufer who is the losser people are going to work without permits whites will benfit becoz they under pay southafrica will be down soon let them try
please we are all Africans lets try to look after each other and avoid the fighting
Wail be here til zvanaka sorry to those who thing we r going back
Zimbabwean a not going anyway!
ulisho uliphinde mtakababa
Don col them rubibish pliz
It is just important for people to learn loyalty. The countries we belong to are just like situations within our families life does not remain the same. People should limit themselves on throwing out words we are all African the boarder is our boundary we do not differ anything at all. Instead we should unite, love and help one another life is too short. Our continent is one of the most beautiful among the five.
What is the problem with us black people?
Guys wat I know is everything gona be ok ,they say if u saw things starting get tough then u know happiness is around the corner
All is gona be ok guyz
We are all africans do not point finger each other! Working together we can do more
mmmm speachless