Zimbabweans, who have entered South Africa seeking political asylum and employment, will be given a "special dispensation" permit, the Department of Home Affairs said on Thursday."The permit confers on them the right to stay in South Africa for a period of six months, it confers on them the right to schooling or education, it confers on them the right to work and access to basic health care," said Home Affairs director general of Immigration Services, Jackie MacKay.
"We have taken an important decision which acknowledges that migration patterns between South Africa and Zimbabwean have probably changed permanently," said Home Affairs Deputy Minister Malusi Gigaba.
Zimbabweans will need to apply for the permit at Home Affairs and provide proof of their nationality. If they do not have official identification, they will go through testing.
"They will go through what we call a country verification test with the assistance of the UN High Commissioner on Refugees. They have certain tests they do to ascertain a person's nationality. And based on that advice they will be able to tell us whether a person is a Zimbabwean or not," said MacKay.
"We have this special dispensation because of the undocumented flow of illegal migrants from Zimbabwe into South Africa and we are trying to regularise the flow of people coming and going," he said.
The special dispensation may lessen the pressures the large numbers of Zimbabwean migrants has created. MacKay said many Zimbabweans who apply for political asylum are, instead, simply looking for employment.
But once given asylum, they are barred from returning to Zimbabwe. This forces them to stay in South Africa when they might prefer to live in this country for only a short amount of time.
"Most Zimbabweans are not asylum seekers, they are economic migrants. So what they want to do is to come into the country do some work and go back home and take money back. We also believe this special dispensation will result in foreign currency going into Zimbabwe and assist in building up that country," said MacKay.
The special dispensation will be a six-month permit. Whether it is renewed will not be based on the applicant, but rather the economic situation in Zimbabwe.
"After six months we will review what the situation in Zimbabwean is, [and ask] can people go back, has the economic climate improved?" said Mackay.
Gigaba said police would not be allowed to arrest Zimbabweans who had the special dispensation permits, but proof of the permit would be needed.
"Just because you say you are [a Zimbabwean national] doesn't mean they can't arrest you," said Gigaba.
"It must be clear, if the police get an individual on the street they arrest them, and they have the right to. Until you can prove that you are a Zimbabwean you will be arrested. You will be taken to our deportation centre. But when you reach the deportation centre you say you are Zimbabwean we will do that nationality check. And from there people will be released if they are found to be from Zimbabwe," said MacKay.
Source : Sapa /ts/ks
Date : 02 Apr 2009 18:01
