South Africa’s Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has declared war on Zimbabwean nationals who are reluctant to apply for visas and/or waivers following the extension of the validity of Zimbabwean Exemption Permits (ZEP) to 30 June next year.
Motsoaledi told the SA Parliament on Tuesday that the (ZEP) holders who do not apply to be in his country legally would be “punished”.
“The ball is in their court, not in the government’s court. We will deal with them the same way we deal with someone who is in the country illegally and overstayed. There is punishment for that,” he said.
Motsoaledi extended the validity of ZEP to 30 June next year citing that few foreigners had “thus far applied for visas and/or waivers.”
The initial expiry date for the permits was 31 December. But in a statement, the minister was advised by the Departmental Advisory Committee (DAC) led by Dr Cassius Lubisi to extend ZEP to allow the affected nationals enough time to get necessary documents.
“As previously communicated, The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) appointed the Departmental Advisory Committee (DAC) led by Dr Cassius Lubisi to assess the visa applications lodged by the affected Zimbabwean nationals,” read the statement.
“The DHA also appointed an outside legal firm to handle all court challenges relating to the decision not to extend the exemptions granted to the Zimbabwean nationals and related matters.
“The Minister of Home Affairs (Minister) received a progress report from Dr Cassius Lubisi. The report states that the DAC has met on several occasions in order to execute its mandate, and their last meeting was held for the whole day on the 1st of September 2022.
“The DAC recommended to the Minister that in view of the progress thus far, it will be prudent for the Minister to consider extending the period within which the affected Zimbabwean nationals will have an opportunity to apply for visas and/or waivers for a further six months
“The Minister has carefully considered the request and decided to extend the period by a further six months, that is, 31 December 2022 to 30 June 2023. Another factor considered by the Minister is that few Zimbabwean nationals have thus far applied for visas and/or waivers. To this end, the Minister has issued another Directive.”
Home Affairs further stated that the Minister was committed to affording the affected Zimbabwean nationals another opportunity to apply for one or other visas and/or waivers provided for in the Immigration Act.
It was further stated that the directive containing the decision of the Minister would be communicated through diplomatic channels to the Zimbabwean Ambassador in South Africa.
Mozviwanepi imi ma paper amnangangwa sei kunyepera vanhu
Takauya Joni kusina chinonzi permit nanhasi handiizive 27yrs tirimo saka garai pasi Itai mushe minister tirimuno zvedu
This is now boring ..Zimbabwe this Zimbabwe that everyday
Martha Phiri go home
Zama Zayda am home darling..sit down and drink some coffee
Martha PhiriMartha Phiri lol South Africa is not your home
Zama Zayda idiot. That’s why Africa it’s poor because of people like you and your minister! Zimbabweans are the only foreigners in your country? Go back to school to gain knowledge at least you’ll get to know that your brothers and sisters are also foreigners to other countries. The problem South Africans are not educated enough to know what is going on in this world, uneducated fools in the world! We want to unite Africa and you’re busy saying go home. Are you the one who created South Africa? Did you create anything in this earth?
Zama Zayda you will have heart attack, relax we are not going anywhere.
Shingani Nyoni not me…cz I know some crazy people who will deal with you
Zama Zayda who said it’s my home..I come to SA for business then go back home..i have a home in Zimbabwe and Malawi darling..try getting a passport and travel the world..i may take you to Zimbabwe and see how other people live..who are actually better than some of your fellow citizens..then you will learn to appreciate other people
Martha Phiri I don’t travel to poor counties…
Zama Zayda xem on you just get out of your comfort zone and then you will stop undermining other countries not everyone is poor..
That guy is trying to steal from us . People with ZEP knows very well that, that guy is looking on to take that non refundable money , hence he will not give anyone those visas . We will leave South Africa anywhere . We’re going back home .
Enias Gapare we can’t say he won’t give anyone because so far he’s not yet started issuing them out
Enias Gapare go home …no one wants you here
Malcom X Kevens Joe rejects only
Mai Peniel TanakaMai Peniel Tanaka do you have Zep
Malcom X Kevens Joe I changed long back
Mai Peniel Tanaka so where did you find the rejected ones
Malcom X Kevens Joe all those who applied most of them were rejected and the money gone. Its money making scheme by the home affairs department
Godfrey Dzingira Jongwe but we all know that those who applied for waivers are not yet issued out by DHA.
1550 is worth risking its ain’t too much money
Zama Zayda we are not going anywhere, you go there. We voted well and your Thabo Mbeki helped Mugabe rig elections.
Malcom X Kevens Joe i know many people who are still using zep who got rejected this year
Malcom X Kevens Joe no many people i know were rejected, i don’t even know any single person who was approved, applying is a risk bcoz you expose yrself to be deported,ul have given them yr employer’s contact and yr address etc it will be easy fr dha to track u down
Zama Zayda say for yrself ul die of bitterness, our employers want us here, money want us here, we didn’t come to be wanted by u
Malcom X Kevens Joe its hard earned cash at the end of the day. You may be successful in getting a waiver. After that you need to apply for the available visas that most of the zep holders don’t qualify. Its all money money going for nothing 😁😁😁😁
Mai Peniel Tanaka keep ducking the authorities but you don’t stay with your employer but with us and it’s easy to deal with you
Zama Zayda and you suppose we can’t deal with u back and defend ourselves, you think we don’t have hands,and can’t buy weapons?
Mai Peniel Tanaka lol and you should do that to zanupf …we owe you nothing
Zama Zayda its not upto u to decide, foreigners will always be there,the earlier u understand it the better fr u, this issue is way above you, that’s why ua wasting your time barking on fbk, deal with one zimbabwean ,one on one then will talk, as fr now il not waste my time on u mr keyboard player
Mai Peniel Tanaka lol such bravery on Facebook when you know for sure you are running away from the authorities…you said it yourself…stop contradicting yourself
Tsve kutaura zve ceiling yakadonhera vanhu muchipatara, busy nenyika yevanhu
Tichaona Goliati Auyu motsveredhi ane mamhepo .evafi varwere vepfungwa vakangofa zvisinganzwisisike Life Esidemini
Awesome bro bring it on we not fuckin goin anywere
Sometimes your reporting mislead people,what do you mean declared war?
Leave us alone we don’t want visas go away
Nkanyezi Maphosa who is “we” here??
Speak for yourself!
Others don’t have fake SA ids like you!
Ncagu Sbhamusogodo KaSibungusodaka I’m not in South Africa yokunuka Mina sezimbabwe I’m a bussines woman leave me olone
Nkanyezi Maphosa so udungelani indaba zabanye uba kungadingi wena!
Ibusiness lakho ngeleshabhini musi!
Ncagu Sbhamusogodo KaSibungusodaka hatina basa nazvo izvo mhani
Nkanyezi Maphosa Say that again,
They are being refused Visas. I don’t know what guy is after for real.
Bafuna ama 1500 besaz bayo rejecter ngeke!!
SA is now taking Zimbabweans as their baboons where they get free money for buying a paper , last time kigava sold another sort of permit to Zimbabweans, game 2 motsoaledi want to rob poor Zimbabweans again? LET ME TELL YOU THE TROUTH BABA, MOST OF US ARE FAILING TO SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES BCZ OF POVERTY, IT MEANS 80%OF US WE WONT AFFORD TO PAY FOR A PERMIT, ,WE CANT PAY TO STAY IN A COUNTRY OF AFRICA ,NEVER
Mdd wakhe+
Mina vele ngiyagoduka jeki kuyafana nje
Hatichaadaka zvomanikidzwa here.
We are not going anywhere
Zimbabwe ichaitawo huchi nemukaka.
Obrian Kanyemba asi POVO will always have murivo nemapoteto
Minister of Home affairs responsible for zim issues only !!