An urgent meeting to discuss the documentation of Zimbabweans living in South Africa has been planned for this week, Home Affairs spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa said on Sunday.
He said details of the meeting with representatives of Zimbabwean nationals living in SA would be released in due course.
“The meeting will be held this week. Since the announcement by the Cabinet to document Zimbabweans living SA, there had been a great deal of distortion and misinformation particularly from NGO’s and [so-called] immigration expert, aimed at sowing confusion among Zimbabweans in the country,” he said.
He said the suggestion that Zimbabweans would have to return en masses to Zimbabwe to acquire the document was “far from the truth”.
He said there was an agreement between Pretoria and Harare that Zimbabweans should approach the Zimbabwean embassy in Pretoria or consulates in Johannesburg or Cape Town which would profile their details.
Cabinet announced on Thursday that a special dispensation for Zimbabweans had been withdrawn.
The dispensation — implemented in April last year — allowed Zimbabweans crossing into South Africa the right to reside in the country, seek employment, attend an educational facility and seek access to basic healthcare for six months.
The dispensation would expire on December 31.
Non-governmental organisations said the decision to withdrew the dispensation would result in mass deportation for those who did not have the means to gain the legal permit. – Sapa