26 January 2022
Shamila Ntokozo Mdlongwa
The South African International and Cooperations Minister Naledi Pandor on Monday announced that the country is working on restructuring its immigration laws.
This comes at a time when the issue of immigration is making headlines all over Mzansi.
It also follows Pretoria’s resolution to discontinue the issuing of Zimbabwe Exemption Permits (ZEPs) towards the end of last year.
However the special permit holders were given 12 months (January to December 2022) to apply for other permits and those that do not qualify to go back home.
The permits which were first introduced in 2009 and had been renewed over three times, were to cater for undocumented Zimbabwean immigrants leaving in SA to be able to access certain facilities in the country.
While speaking on one of South Africa’s television channels, SABC, on Monday, Pandor said that the move to not renew the ZEPs is a great start in addressing and dealing with migration issues in SA.
Minister Pandor sounded optimistic that the immigration laws in that country would be fixed.
She was quoted saying,
“It is important that we do have proper immigration in our country to address all concerns that are out there and some of the prejudices that are evident in some parts of our society.”
South African authorities have over the past several weeks been rounding up undocumented Zimbabweans with the help of the community and the Operation Dudula groups and deporting them back to their native land.
Zim GBC news