As Zimbabwe implodes economically, an increasing number of its citizens are applying for visas to head south.
There were already an estimated two million Zimbabweans in South Africa illegally, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Aziz Pahad told a media briefing at Parliament on Wednesday.
Responding to questions on the economic collapse of South Africa’s northern neighbour, where inflation has recently hit 1000%, he said government ”remained seized” with the situation.
”We have been concerned about the deteriorating economic situation, where inflation has now reached 1000%, and the predictions are it can get worse.
”We remain concerned not only about the effects on the people of Zimbabwe, but the effect on the region as a whole, because Zimbabwe is an important player.”
It was a major problem for South Africa because, according to reports, there were two million ”undocumented” Zimbabweans in South Africa.
”By any standards this is high — even if it’s not as much as this, it is high. Our own missions in Zimbabwe are reporting that they are having increasing numbers of people seeking visas to come to South Africa.”
South Africa continued to interact with the Zanu-PF government, as well as opposition groupings in Zimbabwe, on both a political and economic level.
”The minister of finance [Trevor Manuel] and South African Reserve Bank governor [Tito Mboweni] are in constant touch with their counterparts [in Zimbabwe], going beyond the earlier request for $1,2-billion assistance, taking into context the whole problem economically and politically.”
Hardships continued to grow for Zimbabwe’s people, Pahad said.
However, South Africa remained ”committed to our view that we can only contribute with other countries in the world to create a climate within which the Zimbabweans can solve their problems. There is nothing we can impose on them.”
The United Nations was discussing the possibility of a visit by Secretary General Kofi Annan.
”We look forward to getting more information on this. One assumes he won’t come unless he sees some prospects of a breakthrough,” Pahad said. — Sapa