LHR condemns SAP harassment of Zims

Unscrupulous South African Police Service (SAPS) officers have in recent weeks been harassing Zimbabweans threatening them with deportation despite the governments decision to extend the moratorium.

It is a positive move from Home Affairs to extend the moratorium on deportations. We are however concerned about the continued arrests and harassment of Zimbabweans by SAPS. We would encourage Home Affairs to formally communicate this decision to extend the moratorium to the police so that we do not continue to see Zimbabweans being arrested for immigration reasons while the Zimbabwe documentation process is being finalized, Kaajal Ramjathan-Keogh, head of the Refugee and Migrant Rights Programme, told The Zimbabwean in Johannesburg.

Last week, LHR and other stakeholders met the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) Director General Mkuseli Apleni, who confirmed his department would extend the moratorium on deportations until the end of July 2011.

The moratorium remains in place until this time and applies to all Zimbabweans.

During the meeting, DHA responded to the continued arrests and harassment of Zimbabweans by the police stating that SAPS was cooperating with the DHA and arrests were being carried out by individual unruly police officials acting unlawfully.

Apleni also outlined the roadmap for the documentation process. He announced that 38 additional adjudicators had been appointed, with each adjudicator expected to finalise approximately 60 applications per day, so that a target of 2 280 permits per day are adjudicated and finalised. This would result in the adjudication process being finalised by June 30.

There is an appeals process for persons whose application is rejected. However rejected applicants need to lodge their appeal within 10 days of receipt of the negative decision.