JOHANNESBURG - A prominent South African clergyman has urged the government to recognize economic refugees from Zimbabwe. (Pictured: Bishop Verryn believes that economic refugees have as much need as political ones for amnesty.)
The South African government, which is amending its refugee legislation, only offers asylum status to political refugees, albeit at a snails pace.
Last week, Parliament voted in favour of the enacting the Refugee Amendment Bill, a legal instrument that Home Affairs Minister, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said would shut out asylum seekers, mainly Zimbabweans, who fled economic problems in their country.
Johannesburg Central Methodist Church Bishop Paul Veryn believes this is a step back, saying South Africa should document so-called economic refugees from Zimbabwe, a country where the economic problems are tied to the political situation prevailing in that country.
Our government should be confronted to recognize that Zimbabwe is mass refugee-producing community. It is high time it recognized these members of the asylum-seeking society (economic refugees) especially from Zimbabwe where the economic problems are linked to the political situation, Veryn said during a human rights seminar in Johannesburg last Thursday.
Zimbabwes economic problems are rooted in the political problems that have afflicted the country since 2000 when President Mugabe faced the biggest threat to his stranglehold in power. The period coincided with the violent takeover of commercial farms mainly from white farmers by his supporters, a development that killed commercial agriculture.
Since then, millions have depended on food aid but Zanu (PF) and Mugabe supporters largely distribute it among party lines leaving opposition supporters exposed to hunger.
These and other setbacks have seen an estimated three million seek refuge in neighbouring South Africa.
South Africa has been steadfast in its position that it would only recognize asylum seekers that fled Zimbabwe because of political persecution and said the Refugee Amendment Bill would ensure that.
That (shutting out economic refugees) is despicable. South Africa has lost its humanity. This country should be a place of healing in Africa, Veryn, whose church houses more than 1 000 such asylum seekers, said.
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