SA to deport Zimbabweans who failed to meet ZSP deadline

Applications for the Zimbabwe Special Permits closed yesterday with South Africa saying Zimbabweans who failed to meet the deadline will be deported.

The Department of Home Affairs announced the closure of the registration process.

"The Department of Home Affairs wishes to announce the closure of the Zimbabwean Special Permit application process by end of business today, December 31, 2014," reads part of the statement on the Department of Home Affairs website.

"In line with the announcement made by Minister Malusi Gigaba on August 12, 2014, the closure of the ZSP application process also marks the expiry date of the old Dispensation for Zimbabwean Project (ZSP). This means that ZSP permits whose expiry dates were beyond December 31, 2014 have been brought forward to today. In this regard, 245,000 ZSP holders were eligible to apply for the ZSP."

The department 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 Zimbabweans Project in 2009, a special arrangement to legalise their stay in South Africa.

South Africa Home Affairs Minister Gigaba yesterday said Zimbabweans without proper documents risked deportation.

"If you're in South Africa without proper documents, you're an irregular resident in our country and if immigration officers come across you and you can't produce valid documents, you're therefore liable for deportation," said Gigaba in an interview with ENCA news channel.

Zimbabwe's ambassador to South Africa Isaac Moyo told The Chronicle that it was unfortunate the deadline had come at a time when the majority of Zimbabweans had gone home for the festive season.

He said the time frame had generated pressure among Zimbabweans with some cutting their holidays short.

Ambassador Moyo said a lot of Zimbabweans had taken heed of the advice to apply adding that there were others who had also failed to apply at the time of the closure of the application period.

"A lot of Zimbabweans are trying very hard to comply with the requirements wanted by the South African government," said Ambassador Moyo.

He said there was now a lot of anxiety by affected Zimbabweans since they could be deported.

"Some were of the opinion that the application  forms were difficult to understand while others said the forms were not easily accessible," said Ambassador Moyo.

He said in the New Year, they hoped to meet South African government officials and the affected Zimbabweans to map a way forward in fulfilling the requirements.

"We wait to see whether or not the South African government will be able to give those who failed to register an opportunity to meet the deadline within a certain period," he said.

He said both governments had been urging Zimbabweans to complete the registration process.

Ambassador Moyo said starting today, unregistered Zimbabweans might find themselves being deported since the process had been closed.

The permit was introduced in 2009 for Zimbabwean nationals living in the country illegally.

In 2010, 294,511 applied for DZP permits, 242,731 were issued with permits and 51,780 were rejected for various reasons.