Zimbabweans in South Africa exposed to permits renewal manipulation

Couple of months before special permits issued to Zimbabweans living in South Africa by the South African government four years ago, several dubious Immigration Agents have emerged in South Africa offering to help the desperate Zimbabweans extend their permits or offer them new ones for a huge payment.

In September 2010 the South African government opened up a once in a lifetime opportunity for Zimbabweans living in South Africa to regularize their stay in the country by applying for special dispensation permits that were to be valid for four years. When the special arrangement was made it was never made clear if the permits will be renewed or not at their expiry. With the first batch of permits due to expire in October this year the South African Home Affairs Ministry has made it clear that it will not be renewing the permits but will only retain a few Zimbabweans who will qualify for a special skills visa.

It is estimated that about 2 to 3 million Zimbabweans are resident in South Africa and only 250 000 special permits were issued which leaves many Zimbabweans living in South Africa illegally or using forged or fraudulently acquired South African Identity Documents. When the South African government made out a call to the special permits an amnesty was given to all those who did not have any official residence status to come forward and apply for the permits and so were those who had any illegally documents to surrender the documents and be provided with the permits. The response was however far less than what the South African government expected resulting in only about 250 000 permits being issued.

In 2013 the government redesigned its immigration laws scratching out all special permits and replacing them with visas which can only applied for by a foreigner from their country of origin which is however the norm with several other countries. The South African government is also in the process of changing its national identity book to a Smart Card identity which means that everyone now has to reapply for new identification which the SA Government is hoping to use to fish out any identity documents that were previously fraudulently acquired a scary situation for some Zimbabweans who were provided with improperly registered identity documents as they now will have to go through a very rigorous screening process to acquire the new smart card identity.

In the wake of the above situations numerous clandestine "immigration agents" are sprouting out in South Africa's major cities asking Zimbabweans to come forward and get "help" in regularizing their documents. Reports from South Africa indicate that already a number of Zimbabweans have been conned of amounts of up to about R20 000 by people who are claiming to be able to process permanent residence status quickly before the permits expire. Some are reported to have also been made to pay sums of up to about R10 000 on claims that they will get help processing their old fraudulently acquired identity documents known as "Khupha Faka".

The Khupha Faka identity document is a duplicate identity document of a South African citizen whose picture would have been replaced by the picture of the non South African citizen's picture and in most cases the identity document remains being used by both the original user and the fraudulent one without detection. With the coming of the new smart card identity only the person with the original document will be able to change the identity document by use of finger prints and other security checks which the second user is bound to fail. The clandestine agents are surprisingly managing to con Zimbabweans on the promise that they will be able to change the identity document to a new one against the checks and balances in place. Zimbabweans spoken to in a snap survey proclaimed a situation of dire desperation as they try by all means to renew their permits or sort new papers to legalise their stay in South Africa. A Ms Lindiwe Moyo employed as a teacher as a private college in Johannesburg told Bulawayo 24 that their employer has already issued them with letters demanding that they sort out their permits before the end of the year or face inevitable retrenchment as the government has issued employers a very strong warning against employing any foreign without proper documentation. "We have been told that our contracts will not be renewed next year if we fail to produce permanent residence permits and our employer has made it clear that he will not be able to assist us financially to sort out the papers as the immigration agents are asking for up to as much as R15 000 to sort the permits for us," said Ms Moyo.

Another Zimbabwean Mr Lovemore Nkala from Bulawayo who is employed as a driver in Edenvale Johannesburg claims that he paid a dubious agent R10 000 in early April when the issue of the permits first came out and now the agent is nowhere to be found. "My boss so much wants my services that he gave me R10 000 to sort my work permit through an agent and the agent has since disappeared and changed his phone numbers every day I am slowly running out of a story to tell my boss and am just contemplating disappearing and going back home because he is convinced I cheated him of his R10 000," said Nkala who also claims that the agent disappeared with his passport still with the old permit.

Mr. Zwelakhe Sibanda Zimbabwean running businesses in Pretoria using a Samson Manxele identity document which he claims to have acquired some 15 years ago has vowed that he will not be scared off by the South African government's efforts to fish Zimbabweans out of the country. "You see this id that I have my brother, it's the third one with different names since I came to South Africa over 25 years ago and every time government comes up with hew regulations on identity documents we always have guys coming up with a new way out. These that are being conned of their money are mafikizolos in South Africa who are just panicking and not knowing how to survive in South Africa. We will come right relax they won't do anything to us we are here to stay and not going anywhere, a plan will come up this just talk to scare a few away otherwise most of us are staying here."

Contacted for a comment a South African Department of Home Affairs official based at the Pretoria Home Affairs Office who would not be named said that Zimbabweans must understand that the new regulations in place are not going to change no matter how hard they tried to protest against them but the onus was on them to just follow the laid down procedures and sort their visas as there are a lot of visas in place that can be applied for. "It's sad to see people losing so much money unnecessarily; people should just follow the right procedures and apply for their papers through the Home Affairs offices where they will get assistance at very minimal and legal cost than throw away money to thugs like this. There are so many visa options that people can apply for other than work permits and still remain legal in the country they should just approach our office for free help and advice," said the official.

The Zimbabwean Government is reported to be in diplomatic negotiations with the South African Government on the future of Zimbabweans living in that country. Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi is reported to be in South Africa to meet with his South African counterpart new Minister Malusi Gigaba to find a way forward. Several organisations led by activists from Zimbabwean political parties and civic groups have also emerged in South Africa trying to engage the South African government to reverse the decision not to renew the permits.