At a press conference on Wednesday, Home Affairs co-Minister Kembo MohadiPress reports quoted Mohadi as saying that Zimbabwean officials would soon go to South Africa to register locals living there illegally. The statement has led to queues forming at organizations that assist Zimbabweans with immigration issues, and none of them know what Mohadi meant.
Mohadi is quoted as saying: In May, we were granted a six-month moratorium to regularize the papers of our citizens down south, which moratorium has been extended for the second time, but only up to December. The Minister warned that those who fail to regularize their papers with the officials before the cut-off December date will be deported and will have no-one to blame.
Eddie Matsangaise, programs officer at the Zimbabwe Exiles Forum, confirmed that many people were visiting their offices in Johannesburg for information as a result of Mohadis comments. He explained that South Africa has immigration policies that it follows, and there is no way that Zimbabwean officials can change that. It is the function of the South African government to regularize the papers of any foreign citizens living there.
Matsangaise said: Our office has been inundated with people who dont know whats happening. They want to know what it means and there is the issue of fear for their situation.
The South African government did indeed issue a December deadline for people to regularize their papers but Matsangaise said they dont have the capacity to process what could be hundreds of thousands of applications within the next 4 months. He said the application process is extremely cumbersome and police clearance alone, which is mandatory, takes about 8 weeks.
Post published in: News