Zim refugees in dilemma
THE Department of Home Affairs is completely unaware that Zimbabwe's consulate in Cape Town lies abandoned and stripped of its windows and doors.
Sowetan visited the consulate yesterday and found homeless people camping out in the derelict building. The building has been in this condition for at least a year.
Last week government spokesperson Themba Maseko announced that Zimbabweans without documents had until December 31 to get passports or face deportation.
This sparked outrage from Lawyers for Human Rights, the Jesuit Refugee Service and refugee rights group People Against Suffering, Suppression, Oppression and Poverty (Passop).
They said it would be difficult for millions of Zimbabwean refugees to travel home to get new documents and then come back and apply for South African visas.
But then Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma's spokesperson, Ronnie Mamoepa, said on Friday: "There is no requirement for Zimbabweans to go back home. They can approach the Zimbabwean embassy in Pretoria or consulates in Johannesburg and Cape Town."
Yesterday it became clear that Dlamini-Zuma and Mamoepa had no idea that the Zimbabwean consulate in Cape Town has been empty for a long time.
Mamoepa responded to enquiries by saying "there must be a consulate in Cape Town. All embassies have consulates in both Johannesburg and Cape Town".
He did not respond when Sowetan asked him why he was unaware that the consulate had long been abandoned.
Passop spokesperson Braam Hanekom said it was "extremely disturbing" that Home Affairs was out of touch with reality.
"The former Zimbabwean consulate building provides accommodation only for squatters," Hanekom said. "Yet Home Affairs must be aware of the large number of Zimbabweans in Western Cape, which we believe is more than 200000.
"Home Affairs must not mislead the public and make it seem as if Zimbabweans will be able to obtain documentation in time.
"This will be impossible, especially for those who were mysteriously rejected without being interviewed by the department's status determination officers."
Dlamini-Zuma conceded yesterday that her department only approved a few applications by Zimbabweans for asylum. In a written reply to a parliamentary question she said between January 2007 and July 2010 her department got more than 425000 applications for asylum from Zimbabweans alone. Less than 1300 were approved.
During the same period 404000 Zimbabweans were deported. Of this number more than 350000 were deported during the Thabo Mbeki administration, Dlamini-Zuma said in another parliamentary reply released yesterday.
Puberty
They said it would be *difficult* for millions of Zimbabwean refugees to travel home to get new documents and then come back and apply for South African visas...SO THEY WANT AN EASY WAY??? They need to go home get proper papers OR go home for good if they dont want to co-operate...Report Abuse
homeboy
Well written, some explain how a homeaffairs department is unable to tell us where the Zim consolates are? Madness absolute madness, no wonder we dont believe them when they say they will provide documents to Zimbabweans. Surely a soccer player know his team mates how does dha not now this. Are they to busy playing politics to do there jobs? So they plan to punish the poor and desparate zimbabweans, but wasting millions on deporting them- only to watch them return. Cray hundreds of millions wasted on deporting when poor south africans cant get ids either- maybe the anc women's league still has shares in the deportation centre lindela- maybe thats why elections come and they want to deport. Stealing public monry.Report Abuse
Socrates
Imagine the diferrence the +/- 4000000 Zims can do if they all decided to go home today-Mugabe will be out without resistance or they can simply put a ture around his neck or they should how SAns survived apartheidReport Abuse
Fergie
Our brothers and sisters from Zimbabwe, I believe they are able to travel back home the same way they came into this country. They truly have to get their permits back in their country of origin. Why do you have to feel for them now whilst most of them lost their lives and properties during the xenophobic attacks. The Zimbabwen people are hardworkers yes and I believe going back home is not going to be a problem since they know how to get quick money.Report Abuse
Ratoza
Sorry to say this but I think they should go home and sort out their problems and not come back to SA.We lost brothers and sister during the struggle,yes we took refuge in their contries but never expected the royal treatment. Our cadres never worked there but they were fighting for us,thus we are free today.Report Abuse
Biggie
@Fergie, wel said @Ratoza, do you know the meaning of royal treatment *just asking*Report Abuse
Pabi
@mmasebobemponeng she can be ungly but she is well educated and the issue here is Zimbabweans refugees not about beauty or ungly.@ Ratoza i agree with you, no hard feelings we love u but go back home to stay there, they are welcome to come here for visit of a week or two. our government can't accommodate their own citizens what about them ,no these people are stressing us.
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Eezy
This thing is starting to irritate me now, Firstly those people where not deported to SA they made their on way to Mzansi and now why does the goverment have to worry on how are they going to make their way back home... The same way the manage to get here is the same way they're supposed to get the hell out of here!Report Abuse
comrademaEdies
I beleave in an Africanism.Lets finish all our avenues in trying to assist our brothers and sisters from Zimbabwe.Report Abuse