Undocumented Zimbabweans illegally staying in South Africa poses a security threat to both countries, a diplomat has warned.
Source: Illegal Zim immigrants a threat to SA – Zim envoy | IOL November 2, 2016
Harare – The huge number of undocumented Zimbabweans illegally staying in South Africa poses a security threat to Pretoria, and Zimbabwe’s interests in that country, a diplomat warned on Tuesday.
Zimbabwean Ambassador to South Africa Isaac Moyo said in an interview on the sidelines of a bilateral meeting between the two countries in Harare that the majority of Zimbabweans in South Africa were there illegally.
“I think this is an issue which impacts on the security of South Africa and it also impacts on the interests of Zimbabwe because we cannot have such a large number of people carrying no known documentation at all,” he said.
He said although he did not have specific figures for those that were illegally in South Africa, he was certain that they outnumbered the more 260 000 who carried Special Dispensation Permits.
Moyo said some media houses and non-governmental organisations were exaggerating the number of Zimbabweans living in the neighbouring country.
He said while most of the illegal immigrants entered the country through undesignated points, others went through proper entry points but became illegal somewhere in the process, mostly due to overstaying.
“Nobody knows the numbers of these people because most are border jumpers. Some organisation carry out studies while some newspapers just throw figures which appear exaggerated but the fact is we really don’t know.The South African government doesn’t know and we as an embassy don’t know,” he said.
Moyo said the Zimbabwean government was still in talks with South Africa to establish the fate of the 260,000 Special Dispensation Permits which expire next December. He said the issue was likely to be discussed at the ongoing bilateral meeting in Harare.
“I have no doubt that this will be one of the issues (Home Affairs Minister Ignatius Chombo will very keenly want to take up with his South African counterpart. The initial discussion did not resolve this issue but we had very good discussions,” he said.
Moyo also expressed concern at the huge number of Zimbabweans in South African prisons.
“It is unfortunate that we have a couple of thousands who are also linked to crimes and that we continue to commit these crimes, some of them very serious,” he said, adding the government of Zimbabwe did not condone any form of crime.
COMMENTS
“It is unfortunate that we, in Zimbabwe, have a couple of thousand who are linked to crimes such as money laundering, wholesale theft and mega corruption, and that we continue to commit these crimes, most of them very serious” he (Isaac Moyo) said, adding that the government totaly condones this type of behavior. These sort of people are the real threat to our existence and our security.
A very apt parable.
Moyo put it very well!
Moyo is a zanu pf idiot & apologist. Surely, if a father (that is zanu pf government in this case) decides to forsake, abuse & even kill his children, and as a result those who are lucky to escape the demonic father’s vice run for dear life, and in all directions, then would it make sense for the same father to pretend to care about the fugitive children, let alone whatever they are forced to do by their circumstances in the new and alien environs they find themselves?
It’s all Mugabe & zanu pf’s fault; and to an extent SA’s fault. SA leadership is well known for siding with Mugabe, against the generality of majority Zimboz. Without SA support Mugabe would be history now. Some they should simply spare us their crocodile tears. The abused & gang-robbed zimboz have to survive too – in Zim and/or SA for that matter. Its Mugabe & SA leadership fault. Yes, it is. We all know that even Ian Smith managed to engaged in a protracted war against the majority with a strong backing from the SA apartheid regime. The moment the regime withdraw their strong & active support Smith didn’t take 6 months to start giving in to majority will. Equally so, Mugabe would not hold it against the majority will for more than 6 months should the present selfish SA leadership do the right thing even at this 11th hour. We know key SA leadership benefited, and most likely continue to benefit, from our Marange diamonds which were turned into blood-diamonds by Mugabe & his SA counterparts. Nxaaaaaaa!
If the economy is well,we could not be talking of Zim Immigrants. Lets not try to treat the symptoms yet we know the diesease.
The question is;what shall we do to survive?The Zanu PF thing must stop pointing fingers on people who are stranded and trying to save families abroad.Back in Zim we went to school and graduated at universities and after all”no employment”!!
Okay,we tried otherwise and swallowed our academic pride, as a people well known in whole Africa for having a large population with high literacy competency .We tried selling airtime in the streets,but where did the so called “operation murambatsvina”leave us? We tried working in the farms,but who of the zanu pf surrogates even though after curruptly possesing the farms by the so called”Indeginisation policy” could pay you your salaries? None.
Well,we tried joining the army,the police and all other civil institutions,but where in zim could you ever get a job if your surname or totem was not familiar with the selfish bosses,commandors and ministers?
Okay,we did not just end there,we sacrificed our heads on the chopping boards and desperately jumped the boarders in search of jobs and better living enviros,we risked our lives across the crocodile infested limpopo,maybe we could make it for our impoverished families.we survived the jackals and beasts ,even robbers and murderers of the Musina exile.we dodged and escaped the dogs and guns of the farm owners in the wilderness of hunger and thirst .
Finally,we cried tears of gratitude to our Lord Jesus Christ for being faithful,unlike our puppet government ,we got to SA,we did not forget our heart torn and suffering families but strived in whichever way we could for them.
After all ,you even hunt our souls in SA.Are not your children getting education and medication abroad?Why,why ?why Zimbabwe why?WHY ?