News / National
SA embassy buckles under permit applications
19 Feb 2015 at 11:43hrs | Views
THOUSANDS of prospective Zimbabwean students seeking to pursue their studies in South Africa risk missing their college registration and enrolment deadlines as that country's Harare embassy cannot cope with the demand for permits.
Without the student permits, the Zimbabwean nationals will not be allowed to register at the various tertiary institutions in South Africa, which have already opened for the 2015 academic year - a situation that leaves many at risk of forfeiting their places as they fail to show up for lectures and other academic programmes.
Compounding the situation further, is the breakdown of a printer at the embassy which is used to print the permits.
The printer had to be sent back to the neighbouring country for repairs. The embassy is inundated with fresh applications on a daily basis while on the other hand staff is trying to clear a backlog that had accumulated following the breakdown of the printer.
As of January 23, the South African consul had just finished off with applications received on the week of Christmas last year.
The consular has seen an increase in the number of prospective students seeking permits to pursue tertiary education in South Africa as thousands continue to shun local institutions.
The flurry of study permit applications is an indictment of Zimbabwe's much-acclaimed education system, once rated among the best on the African continent.
The education sector has suffered from serious underfunding and brain drain.
This comes at a time when the neighbouring country is preparing an en masse deportation of illegal Zimbabwean nationals living there.
Xenophobic attacks against foreign nationals which have swept throughout South Africa in the past few weeks have stoked up anxiety among illegal immigrants.
Without the student permits, the Zimbabwean nationals will not be allowed to register at the various tertiary institutions in South Africa, which have already opened for the 2015 academic year - a situation that leaves many at risk of forfeiting their places as they fail to show up for lectures and other academic programmes.
Compounding the situation further, is the breakdown of a printer at the embassy which is used to print the permits.
The printer had to be sent back to the neighbouring country for repairs. The embassy is inundated with fresh applications on a daily basis while on the other hand staff is trying to clear a backlog that had accumulated following the breakdown of the printer.
As of January 23, the South African consul had just finished off with applications received on the week of Christmas last year.
The consular has seen an increase in the number of prospective students seeking permits to pursue tertiary education in South Africa as thousands continue to shun local institutions.
The flurry of study permit applications is an indictment of Zimbabwe's much-acclaimed education system, once rated among the best on the African continent.
The education sector has suffered from serious underfunding and brain drain.
This comes at a time when the neighbouring country is preparing an en masse deportation of illegal Zimbabwean nationals living there.
Xenophobic attacks against foreign nationals which have swept throughout South Africa in the past few weeks have stoked up anxiety among illegal immigrants.
Source - fingaz
