Most of the permits, issued under the Zimbabwe Documentation Project, expire towards the end of this year. The permits were valid for four years and, unlike normal permits, don’t qualify their holders for permanent residence status in South Africa.
South Africa revealed recently that, while the permits would be renewed, holders would be required to make their applications back in their home country.
Zimbabwean migrants believe the latest shift of policy, partly in line with recent amendments to the SA migration laws, could be a ploy to reject their applications.
“It was very difficult to convince our employers to write us recommendation letters or to even give us days off to apply for the permits and this new requirement will see us lose our jobs,” said Sihle Ndlovu.
“Travelling to Zimbabwe and back for the renewal would require about a week, and employers would not allow that. I think South Africa is just fed up with us and wants us to lose our jobs in the process.”
Deputy home affairs minister Fatima Chohan told a press conference in Pretoria last week that all DZP permit holders were expected to leave the country at the expiry of their documents, whether they were work, study or business permits.
Migrants’ rights organisations are still trying to negotiate a better solution. “We are seeking dialogue with the South African government on this,” said Daniel Muzenda, spokesperson for Zimbabwe Migrants International.
Butholezwe Nyathi, national coordinator of Migrants Workers’ Association of South Africa, said his organisation thought the best option was in a collective effort.
…as Zimbabweans fall prey to fake document scam
A Zimbabwean man is still struggling to recover his money a year after being duped into applying for a permit that turned out to be fake.
Morelife Namara told The Zimbabwean this week that he lost R4,000 to a company called Executive Travel last year, in what now appears to be a permit scam.
“I paid R4,000 when I applied for the permit and the agent took my details, pay slip and proof of residence,” said Namara, who lives in Johannesburg.
But Namara became suspicious after he advised the agent that he wanted to travel home sometime this year.
“When I told him that I was going to the border, he said my permit was not ready to pass the border and asked me to pay an extra R1,200, but I refused and continued with my journey. At the border, I was told that my passport was fake.
“When I called the agent back to ask him what was happening, he only said he was sorry and did not propose any remedial action. Now he is no longer taking my calls. I want a valid permit or my money back from him.”
Countless efforts to get a comment from the agent were fruitless. Having initially claimed his permits were genuine and promised a meeting with our reporter, he stopped answering calls.
Police in Pretoria, from where the agent, who called himself ‘Ryan’, used to operate, said they would only start a search after a formal report was made.
Namara, who said he could recognise the suspected criminal if he met him again, said he delayed making the report hoping that Ryan would meet him halfway and either pay back his money or give him a valid permit.
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im really appealing to sa gorvenment on behalf of all zim pple living in sa to please renew our contract on permits as we also contribute in their economy with our skilled pple in different sectors i hope u dont get me wrong thank u so much in advance xx
i am begging the government of SA to renew our permit in a normal way got our permits,because most of us zimbabweans we have clean records in both countries.As we know that home is home [is the best].But in the case of work permits it does not help to go home and perish.Our famillies are depending on our income.[ie 3million permit hoiders of each holder has got 4-6 people behind whose expecting to get food from my salary is going to perish as well.ie 3m multiply by average 5 people =15 millions. It seems as SA government is impossing sanchtions on Zimbabwean community in a smart deplomatic way.And its going to put its sercurity on abnormal load of work ,as you know no man can die whilist there is a last resort of getting into SA boarder jumping even though its risk the people will preffere to die on a tryal than just to die.for the ones who fake doccument thats they must deal with not us innocent people if we were told on the issue of our permits. i think by now half of Zimbweans would be gone home or US.we help them to built their economy they huge because we put our hands but today we are a refuse. but no .please feel for us this situation in Zimbabwe one day it will knock on boarder.
I wish the government can feel for us because we have families to support back home. What about our bank accounts and credits? Some of us are studying while working , what is going to happen now?