Most affected are those who applied towards the close of the process on 31 December 2011, those who changed telephone numbers and those whose first applications were rejected.
Scores of people who spoke to The Zimbabwean early this week expressed fear that they would eventually fail to get the work, business and study permits, issued for free by the Department of Home Affairs.
“I applied a few days before the end of the process – without some documents,” said Nonkululeko Ndlovu. “I submitted the remaining documents later, in addition to the fingerprints, but Home Affairs said I had been rejected for sending in an incomplete application, meaning that they had not considered the last documents. I had to return to the application centre to re-do fingerprints and submit the letter from my employer, but there has been no further communication.”
Apparently, most of those rejected were late applicants, told that the documents they submitted after the deadline were “missing”, in what could indicate that the department did not keep its promise to consider late applications.
“It has been six months after I submitted the missing documents for the second time, but there has been no communication since then,” said Artwell Shava. “I have made numerous trips to the Home Affairs offices, but they keep telling me that my permit is not yet there and now I fear that I might not get it.”
Some feared that they could have been victims of a scam unearthed early this year, where many permits were said to have been sold to people who did not apply under the ZDP. Sources within the department said the scam had come to the authorities’ attention and was still being internally investigated.
DHA spokesperson, Ronnie Mamoepa, promised to respond after an internal investigation into the latest report.
Post published in: News