Permits issued to more than 130 000 Zim migrants

A total of 133 331 permits have been issued to Zimbabweans enabling them to legally remain in the country, the home affairs department said on Thursday.

However, not all the applicants had collected their permits, head of the Zimbabwe Document Project, Jacob Mamabolo, said at a briefing on the status of the amnesty project in Pretoria.

“The figure includes those who applied for amnesty…Issuing does not mean they are collected.”

Mamabolo said that despite SMS’ being sent to those people who had not yet collected their documents, some still remained at the department.

Other Zimbabweans still needed to submit further documentation and to have their fingerprints taken.

“The department continues to do everything in its power to ensure it meets its obligation to document Zimbabweans living in South Africa.

“However, we can only succeed with the full support of all applicants,” he said.

The December 31, 2010 deadline saw 275 762 Zimbabwean nationals registering to legalise their residency in the country.

Mamabolo said his department had adjudicated 263 141 applications. A total of 12 621 were still outstanding.

He said the department would meet the July deadline to conclude the documentation process, after which they would focus on other nationalities.

“We continue to interact with the Zimbabwean embassy and consulate to ensure the fast tracking of the issuance of the necessary travel documents to those who applied for them.”—Sapa