273,514 Zimbabwean permit applications adjudicated: SA Home Affairs

Update on the Zimbabwe Documentation Project (ZDP)

The South African department of Home Affairs announced in February this year, following consultations with the Zimbabwean government that the adjudication of permits from undocumented Zimbabwean nationals will be finalised by the end of July 2011. At the end of December 2010 they had received 275 762 applications for documents.

With a week to go, they are saying they are firmly on track to meeting their target to conclude the adjudication of applications. In this regard,

Status of applications

Applications received: 275 762
Applications adjudicated: 273 514
Applications pending: 2 248
Permits issued: 133 810

"We are aware that many Zimbabwean nationals are concerned that they may not yet have received their permits. As indicated above, one hundred and thirty three thousand, eight hundred and ten (133 810) permits have been issued," said the SA Home Affairs department.

It say as previously indicated, they will conclude the adjudication of the applications by 31 July 2011 and it will finalise all outstanding matters in August 2011. This will allow them sufficient time to dispatch all the required permits.

It said that the initiative to document all Zimbabwean nationals in South Africa has been undertaken in full consultation with the Zimbabwean authorities including the Zimbabwean stakeholder forum members consisting of Zimbabwean organisations operating from South Africa. "We therefore continue to count on their support to ensure we can bring this project to its logical conclusion," said the statement.