Many Zimbabwean immigrants in South Africa do not have identity documents from their own country and cannot obtain work and other permits without them. South Africa has said it will by December 31 begin deporting all Zimbabwean who do not have permits.
The Zimbabwean consulate in Johannesburg has struggled to cope with the multitudes of people wanting to obtain identity documents to enable them to apply for South African permits before the moratorium on deportations expires. However, Zimbabwes Consular-general Chris Mapanga last Thursday said more officers would travel to South Africa, where they will open new centres to process the applications.
We expect them to arrive here during the weekend to increase our capacity to process these applications and by Monday, we will begin the process of establishing centres at various places in South Africa, said Mapanga in Johannesburg. We will open new offices in Polokwane, where there will be much concentration because of the high number of Zimbabweans working in farms there, who do not have even birth certificates.
We will also open an office in each of Cape Town and Durban, so that the process moves smoothly. I would also like to appeal to Zimbabweans not to flood Johannesburg, but stay in their respective basis because we will reach them wherever they are.
Post published in: News