Concern over SA deportations

are now reportedly roaming the streets in search of food as they no longer have anyone to take care of them.
Non-Zimbabweans were sent here owing to boobs in the vetting process.

This was revealed to members of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Defence and Home Affairs on Tuesday.
Home Affairs officials raised concern over the manner in which illegal immigrants are treated in South Africa.
At least 6 502 people have been deported from South Africa to Zimbabwe in the last few months.

Figures from the Department of Immigration show that 5 491 of the illegal immigrants were men while 752 were women and 279 children.
The committee heard that in some cases the immigrants had their passports torn, work permits unilaterally cancelled, while many others were forced to leave behind their belongings and families.
There are also reports that some immigrants are denied access to medication or the right to collect their wages in case of those who were arrested at work.
This is despite South African authorities’ pledge to carry out the deportations in a transparent manner.

Giving oral evidence before the committee, assistant regional immigration officer in charge of the Southern region Mr Charles Gwede said there was need to streamline responsibilities between the South Africa police and that country’s immigration.
“We have had numerous reports where passports and travel documents are taken away from our people before they are deported,” he said.
“This is very worrying and calls for political and Government intervention. At times people are harassed by police and the immigration fails to take responsibility.

“In some incidents, we have been forcing the police to take back the illegal immigrants to South Africa so that they could be vetted by the department of immigration.”
Mr Gwede said the Zimbabwean consulate in South Africa should also be involved in the vetting process to ensure only Zimbabweans only were deported to the country.
“They should also consider coming up with a temporary holding centre in Limpopo Province because the current holding places in that province are inhuman,” he said.

“When these immigrants are deported into Zimbabwe we verify their nationalities with the assistance of different security personnel to establish whether they are criminals and not from other nations.
“It is our wish that Zimbabwean authorities are involved in vetting these people because initially the South Africa’s director of deportations had promised us that everyone will be thoroughly vetted before being taken back, but the is not the situation on the grou- nd.”

Mr Gwede said that they were also worried that ex-convicts especially dangerous criminals were being brought together with ordinary people in same vehicles.
Since the deportations started on 7 October a total of 65 ex-convicts were deported from South Africa after saving their time in jail and 15 of them have since been arrested for committing robberies in Beitbridge.

The police officer commanding Beitbridge District, chief superintendent Lawrence Chinhengo said they had since sent a petition to their South African counterparts over the manner in which deportations were being handled.
The members of the parliamentary committee visited the International Organisation for Migration reception centre in Beitbridge where some people were being assisted.

Some of the deported immigrants complained that they were harassed, their passports were tone and residents or work permits were being cancelled by police and immigration officials in Thohoyandou, South Africa.

Committee chairperson Mr Paul Madzore said: “From what we have seen on the ground, it is equally unfair for our people to undergo such inhuman treatment. At the same time we are calling on our people to regularise their stay and desist from irregular migration. We will find a way that these anomalies are addressed as a matter of urgency.”