The process to document the tens of thousands of Zimbabweans in South Africa without legal paperwork has seen people queuing at Home Affairs offices across the country for days at a time. The turn around for applications has reportedly been very slow. And with the deadline for Zimbabweans to regularise their stay in country looming, many have opted for staying overnight in queues so as not to lose their places.
This includes a large number of women and children who have all been waiting desperately for their turn to get their applications in, before the December 31st deadline expires. That deadline is set to signal the resumption of deportations back to Zimbabwe, despite warnings from human rights groups that many Zimbabweans will not have their paperwork in order by that time.
Concern has already been raised over how the Zimbabwean consulate authorities in South Africa, particularly in Johannesburg, have been treating their own citizens. Some nationals who have been trying to obtain passports to get their relevant South African permits, have been refused the documents or asked for bribes.
But, in what action group Sokwanele has called an example of how ZANU PF responds to humanitarian crises, the Zimbabwean consulate has taken its cruelty towards its own people a step further. The Consul General, Chris Mapanga, has told groups who have been trying to feed the Zimbabweans in queues in Johannesburg to stop this kindness, calling it embarrassing.
The South African Communist Party (SACP) decided recently to start assisting the large number of men, women and children queuing for documents in Johannesburg, by providing them with soup, bread and water. The SACPs Politburo Member and Head of the Office of the General Secretary, Solly Mapaila, told SW Radio Africa that this was their answer to the clear humanitarian question on our doorstep. But Mapaila explained that the situation lasted for some time, so the SACP decided to involve local government to get more assistance for the situation.
We also eventually had meetings with the National government who brought in the Zimbabwe High Commission, and it was at that meeting that he said we must stop feeding the people in queues, Mapaila said.
Mapaila explained that the Zimbabwean authorities were quite firm on this point, adding that the excuse given was that the Zimbabweans trying to get permits didnt deserve to be fed because they are here (in South Africa) on their own accord.
This is clearly nonsense, we all know the political situation that people have left the country over, Mapaila said. It is unacceptable and inhuman that a person would use their position to ask us to refuse others food. Mapaila said the SACPs intervention has, at least, made some difference, with the local government sending monitors to observe how people are coping in the queues. He explained that temporary ablution facilities and even chairs and shade have been provided to assist those people stuck queuing for days.
Post published in: News