Some 6 000 Zimbabweans have reportedly surrendered their illegally-acquired identity documents to South Africa’s Home Affairs department while 50 000 handed in asylum documents as that country’s regularisation programme for illegal immigrants intensifies.
The department has so far processed work and study permits for 65 570 Zimbabweans and pledged to process the remaining 210 192 applications soon.
The department also said 16 960 Zimbabweans submitted applications using birth certificates or national identity documents (IDs), 15 066 applied with any other document and 28 044 applied for passports.
The Registrar General’s Office is expected to issue 60 702 passports.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe’s Home Affairs co-minister Theresa Makone said the RG’s Office had committed itself to producing 3 000 passports per week to reduce the backlog of Zimbabweans in need of South African visas, but have no passports.
A Zimbabwean passport is a prerequisite for the four-year South African study, work and live visa offered to Zimbabweans as a way of regulating their stay in that country.
According to the South African Home Affairs department figures, 60 000 Zimbabweans without passports have applied for the visa.
“The RG (Tobaiwa Mudede) promised to make 3 000 passports per week. That is the figure he gave us. Whether he will manage or not, he is the one who makes the passports and we will see if he lives up to his promise,” Makone said.
Ngqabutho Dube, a member of the inter-party committee set up to help Zimbabweans through the registration process, urged Zimbabweans without passports, IDs or birth certificates to approach the consulate for assistance.
“Those who had South African IDs will have their permit numbers linked to their bank accounts so that they don’t lose out on their assets,” he said.
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