adminPatrick Chitumba Senior Reporter
SOUTH Africa has not yet started the process of deporting 40,000 Zimbabweans who failed to obtain new permits in that country, Zimbabwe’s ambassador to South Africa Isaac Moyo said yesterday.Applications for the Zimbabwe Special Permit (ZSP) closed on December 31, with South Africa saying Zimbabweans who failed to meet the deadline will be deported.
Ambassador Moyo told The Chronicle that the neighbouring country’s department of Home Affairs was still to meet them to discuss the way forward regarding the matter.
He said deportations for those who do not fall under the ZSP programme were on going.
“Deportations to do with the 40,000 Zimbabweans are not going on since applications for others are still to be completed, appeals reviewed and the minister approves deportations. But deportations for others who don’t belong to this category are on-going,” he said.
“I’m told the people from the department of Home Affairs reported for duty today (yesterday) and the relevant authorities are looking at registration process before coming to meet us.”
South Africa department of Home Affairs said as at December 30, 207,802 applications had been received while 198,840 appointments had been booked through the Visa Facilitation Services Global Outsourcing Company of South Africa.
About 250,000 Zimbabweans were issued with permits under the now discontinued Dispensation for Zimbabwe Project in 2009, a special arrangement to legalise their stay in South Africa.
The permit was introduced in 2009 for Zimbabwean nationals living in that country illegally.
In 2010, 294,511 applied for DZP permits and 242,731 were issued with permits while 51,780 were unsuccessful due to various reasons.
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