Special deal for Zimbabwe citizens in SA to end

JOHANNESBURG – South Africa’s Cabinet has approved a proposal to end the special dispensation for Zimbabwean nationals introduced in April 2009, government spokesman Themba Maseko said yesterday.

This followed a bilateral agreement between the South African and Zimbabwean ministers of home affairs, he told a media briefing following Cabinet’s Wednesday meeting.

The special dispensation would end on December 31, and all Zimbabweans who have not had their presence in South Africa formalised by then will be deported, Maseko said.

“Those who are here illegally without any documents will be given a period between now and the end of December to sort out their documentation with the Zimbabwean authorities and with home affairs and after this date anybody who does not have any form of permit to be in the country will be deported.”

Maseko said the special dispensation was put in place during “a time when there was a political crisis in Zimbabwe” to allow free movement

“But we believe some form of stability has returned to Zimbabwe and therefore all Zimbabweans will now be treated like any other foreign nationals.”

Maseko said Cabinet’s decision to withdraw the accord was part of efforts to ensure that all foreign nationals residing in South Africa were documented and their presence regularised.

Zimbabwean nationals working, conducting business or studying in South Africa would be issued with a working permit, business permit or a study permit, provided they had valid Zimbabwean documents.

As part of the agreement to suspend free movement, Harare had undertaken to issue documents to all its undocumented nationals, he said. Where this was not possible, the Zimbabweans would be allowed to return home and fetch the necessary papers.

There would be “an amnesty” for Zimbabweans who might have obtained South African identity documents fraudulently, on condition that such documents were returned to the home affairs department with immediate effect.

However, this would not mean that they would automatically qualify for regularisation, Maseko said. They would then have to apply for permits that enabled them to legally reside in South Africa. – Nampa-Sapa

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