adminMashudu Netsianda Senior Court Reporter
A SOUTH African woman who was arrested and detained by immigration officials for allegedly fraudulently acquiring a permanent residence permit in Zimbabwe is challenging her imminent deportation.
Saudi Letie, 35, of Killarney suburb in Bulawayo and is married to Menia Nkomo, a Zimbabwean, heaved a sigh of relief after she was granted $100 bail and had her deportation halted by a Bulawayo magistrate on Saturday pending a hearing on the matter on Friday.
Letie, who is being represented by Cedric Dube of Cheda and Partners, will appear before magistrate Sibongile Msipa to argue her case against deportation following her arrest on November 14.
According to court papers, the South African and Nkomo were married in 2010 and their marriage was solemnised at the Western Commonage Magistrate’s Court.When she was arrested, the woman was accused of having fraudulently obtained a permanent residence permit in November 2011 at the Bulawayo immigration offices while in the company of her husband.
“On November 28 at about 10AM, Letie and her husband proceeded to Bulawayo immigration offices where they fraudulently obtained a residence permit and accused’s passport was stamped with a date stamp. Accused never applied for a proper residence permit,” according to the court papers.
The immigration department claims that her passport has a fake permanent residence permit.
onlinemedia
derick.khumalo