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Minister Kembo Mohadi

Tendai Mugabe Senior Reporter
Zimbabweans working in South Africa whose work permits expire in December will know their fate on Thursday after Pretoria invited Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi for a meeting over the matter.An estimated 250,000 Zimbabweans were given work permits under a special dispensation by the South African government a few years ago.

Addressing journalists in Harare yesterday, Minister Mohadi said they had not received official correspondence from South Africa relating to the expiry of the permits.

He said the issue had drawn anxiety among ordinary Zimbabweans and the media prompting him to seek audience with the South African authorities.

He said the South Africans agreed to meet him on Thursday next week over the matter.

“We as a ministry have not received any correspondence from the South African government that our permits have expired,” he said.

“They have not communicated to us on those lines. It is through the media and other quarters that the permits are going to expire and they are not going to be renewed and that the dispensation that we have entered into with the South Africans is coming to an end.

“Because we are pro-people, when we heard about that we decided to go and see the South Africans. We have been trying to engage them, by the time we were trying to engage them they were just from an election and there was a new minister who was still finding his feet in South Africa but he has since allowed us to see him and have conversation with him as from Thursday next week.”

Minister Mohadi said he would be in a position to give more information on the matter after that meeting.

“As of now we have not much to tell you. We do not even know what the subject matter is. They will tell us.”

Minister Mohadi took the opportunity to clarify the issue of the appointment of the Zimbabwe Anti Corruption Commission commissioners.

He dismissed reports in some sections of the private media that he reversed the extension of the tenure of the Danford Chirindo led commission that was purportedly approved by President Mugabe.

Minister Mohadi said President Mugabe was never involved in that issue as it was dealt with by his   ministry.

“The President has not appointed a new commission and the President has not re-appointed that old commission that stands,” he said.

“He has not erred in any way because he was not involved as he is waiting for the proper thing to be done  or the recommendation to come from Parliament after the Standing Rules and Orders Committee of Parliament has sat down, advertised, shortlisted and interviewed people so exonerate my President.”

Minister Mohadi said his ministry allowed the commission to continue with its work on an interim basis waiting for the realignment of the Anti Coprruption Act.