Hope for Zimbabweans

An appeal by Minister Dlamini Zuma for Zimbabwean nationals to take up the government offer for documentation and amnesty
19 Sep 2010

Minister of Home Affairs Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma has today, Sunday, 19 September 2010, made an appeal to Zimbabwean nationals resident in South Africa to take up the government offer for their documentation and amnesty which begins on Monday, 20 September and ends on 31 December 2010.

In this regard, Minister Dlamini Zuma said, “The South African government appeals to Zimbabwean nationals resident in South Africa to take up the offer to regularise their stay in South Africa beginning tomorrow Monday 20 September.”

“This process is aimed at ensuring you comply with South Africa’s immigration laws, lead normal lives while ending your misery of living under constant fear of deportation. Simultaneously, we reiterate our commitment to extending amnesty to all those who possess fraudulent South African identity documents on condition they hand them back to Home Affairs regional offices in the country,” said Minister Dlamini Zuma.

“To facilitate this process, 240 Home Affairs officials have been deployed to 46 regional offices across the country to assist you in the process of regularising your stay in South Africa through documentation.

We stand ready to increase this number of officials depending on the number of Zimbabweans applying for documents.”

“Accordingly, and as part of this process, we call upon Zimbabwean nationals to approach their Embassy in Pretoria and consulate in Johannesburg to declare their presence and acquire valid travel documents to enable the South African government to issue them with study, work or business permits,” continued Minister Dlamini Zuma.

“We are convinced that the majority of Zimbabwean nationals resident in South Africa wish to comply with South Africa’s immigration laws and would want to take up the government offer arrived at through bilateral agreement with the Zimbabwean government, to lead normal lives in the country,” concluded Minister Dlamini Zuma.

Issued by: Department of Home Affairs
19 Sep 2010

Source: http://www.home-affairs.gov.za/media_releases.asp?id=618