Online Reporter
Danisa Masuku
A NIGERIAN man’s stay in Zimbabwe turned sour after his permit expired, landing him in court for illegally remaining in the country.
Almenzie Golden Pascal (53) appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Challenge Mahembe charged with contravening Section 29 (2a) of the Immigration Act.
Pascal pleaded guilty and begged for mercy, saying he had fallen on hard times after his divorce in 2022. “I am really sorry for what I did. I was looking for money to pay for the renewal of my permit. I pray that you do not send me to jail. I have children that I look after,” he said.
The magistrate fined him US$100, payable at the courts. A four-month jail term was wholly suspended for five years on condition he does not commit a similar offence.
Prosecutors told the court Pascal entered Zimbabwe in 2004 via Joshua Mqabuko International Airport. His residential permit was valid until 2022 but he continued to stay after it lapsed.
Detectives received a tip-off on 20 August that Pascal was living in Bulawayo illegally. They tracked him down to a shop along Josiah Moyo Street between 14th and 15th Avenue, where he failed to produce a valid permit.
Pascal was promptly arrested. The magistrate warned that any repeat offence during the next five years will result in imprisonment with no option of a fine.
His case serves as a reminder to foreign nationals of the risks of overstaying their permits. Authorities have warned that immigration laws will be enforced strictly to curb illegal stays in the country.
