SADC states have been given up to February next year to respond to the
request.
The organisation is contemplating opening offices in all the Southern
African countries to offer its services to the refugees.
“We petition SADC to allow Zimbabweans whether political or economic
refugees to settle where they are but without necessarily changing
their citizenship. When the crisis is over they will go back.
“The Forum requests partnerships with the SADC governments. Each SADC
country will open one office for processing the permits and the Forum
will handle the data
collection,” reads part of the petition.
The proposed package of the petition include allowing the holder of
such a permit to engage in employment, open bank accounts and
obtaining a SADC driver’s license.
The organisation also requests that such a permit be renewed after at
least three years.
Millions Zimbabweans have fled the economic recession and political
crisis battering their country.
It is estimated that up to four million of these are in neighbouring
South Africa. A number of them have gradually sought refuge in such
countries as Zambia following the ongoing shortage of basic
commodities.
Socioeconomic analyst, Luke Zunga, said that such a move was so vital
that it should be on the agenda of the mediation talks that SADC
appointed South African President Thabo Mbeki early this year to
supervise. – Own correspondent
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