Long queues at SA Home Affairs

Thousands others without proper documents allowing them to be legally in South Africa rushed to the Zimbabwe consulate in Johannesburg and the Zimbabwe Embassy in Pretoria where long queues were the order of the day. Director-General of the Zimbabwe Consulate in Johannesburg Mr Chris Mapanga said the numbers of those applying for new passports had drastically soared.

“Some people (Zimbabweans) didn’t have passports before while others had lost them and were staying without,” said Mr Mapanga. “There are here in huge numbers submitting their applications for passports.”
For one to obtain a Zimbabwean passport in South Africa one has to fork R750. Elsewhere at Crowne Mine and Braamfontein Home Affairs offices, there were long winding queues of those who had fraudulently acquired documents.
They were making reports in order to acquire bona fide documents so that they can continue to work in South Africa, while others with criminal records were not comfortable with presenting their cases. “I have been arrested before for possessing fraudulently acquired documents, and I am not so sure if this call is not a trap to arrest me,” said a worried Simbarashe Mutangadura.

Another Zimbabwean who had a valid passport but no work permit, Nhlanhla Hwalima Dube of Bulawayo, said: “I have invested so much money with various banks, and I don’t want to lose it. My passport is valid but I don’t have a work permit. “Apart from the huge investments, I am running my own company and I don’t want to gamble with the cut-off date of December 31”. Dube has been in the country since 1994 and fears deportation would signal the “end” of him.

Matthias Mazarura, an engineering student at the University of Johannesburg, was among those that woke up early on Monday to queue for his permit. “I can’t imagine myself being deported before completing my degree in engineering,” he said. “This is the main reason why I am here, but most Zimbabweans are being turned away for acquiring their asylum seekers’ permit after May 31,” said Mazarura. Mazarura has a passport, but his permit had expired and is desperate to get a new one.

Home Affairs spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa said he was overwhelmed by the reports of thousands of Zimbabwe who visited their Home Affairs offices on Monday. “Presently we don’t really know the exact figure of Zimbabweans living in South Africa, but after this exercise, we will definitely be in a position to tell. “We will also announce the total figure of Zimbabweans who visited our regional office today (Monday),” said Mamoepa. — CAJ News.

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