Maravi

(NEWZIMBABWE, SAPA) 33,000 Zimbabweans apply to stay in SA

COMMENT - At least this number puts to rest the idea that there are 4 million Zimbabweans in South Africa. If 10% of Zimbabweans in South Africa applied for business/work permits, that would put the number in the 330,000 plus range. What teh article doesn't mention is that the Zimbabwean economy was destroyed by economic sanctions, which is why there is a larger than usual number of Zimbabweans in South Africa.

33,000 Zimbabweans apply to stay in SA
by Sapa
28/10/2010 00:00:00

THE issuing of study, business or work permits to Zimbabweans in South Africa who qualify for these documents is proceeding well, Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma told MPs on Tuesday. Speaking in the National Assembly, she said over 33,000 applications had been received.

"As of Monday, we had received 33,117 applications, and we have already adjudicated 9890. "As you know, we also announced amnesty for those who would return South African documents that they had received fraudulently, if they follow the procedure and get their own documents, and we have already given amnesty to 1046 who have returned the documents to us.

"So this process is going very well," she said.
She said there were 42 Home Affairs Department offices and 246 staff that were dealing with Zimbabweans, with 51 additional staff joining on Wednesday.

"We think this should be enough to deal with this. But we'd like ... to call on Zimbabweans to use this opportunity and not to wait until December 31," she said.

An estimated two million Zimbabweans live in South Africa, most of them illegally.

In August, the South African government announced its special dispensation and moratorium on deportations would end on December 31 this year.

It also extended an amnesty to all Zimbabweans in possession of fraudulent South African IDs, saying that those who returned them to Home Affairs offices would not be prosecuted.

The department says work, study and business permits issued to all qualifying Zimbabwean nationals will be done so free of charge.

Labels: IMMIGRATION, PROPAGANDA, SOUTH AFRICA

posted by MrK @ 4:12 PM