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Mashudu Netsianda Senior Reporter
SOUTH Africa has announced that it will start accepting permit applications for the 245,000 Zimbabweans who benefited under Dispensation for Zimbabweans Project (DZP), on October 1 as part of the new Zimbabwean Special Permit (ZSP). Minister of Home Affairs Malusi Gigaba, in a statement yesterday, said the applications would be done online. The application fee for the ZSP is pegged at R870.

“As the Department of Home Affairs, we will begin accepting applications via the website for the ZSP on October 1, 2014. We would like to take this opportunity to update stakeholders and the public on the implementation of the ZSP. As explained then, only the approximately 245,000 holders of the DZP are eligible to apply for the ZSP,” said Gigaba.

South Africa, in August, announced the establishment of the ZSP of 2014 allowing Zimbabwean holders of the special permit to work, conduct business or study in South Africa for three years, until the end of December 2017.

In June, Gigaba announced that VFS Global, a worldwide outsourcing and technology services specialist for diplomatic missions and governments, had been appointed to receive and manage visa and permit applications in South Africa.

The company is given the mandate to automate the application processes, develop a solution for biometric intake in line with the new immigration regulations, manage a dedicated permitting call centre and deliver outcomes to clients efficiently and timely.

VFS Global has established 11 Visa Facilitation Centres in all nine provinces, with Gauteng and the Western Cape provinces each having two centres in light of their high volume of applications.

“We, along with our application processing partner VFS, have completed all the necessary preparations to process all prospective applications for the ZSP and all the 10 ZSP Application Centres have been secured by VFS and we have 120 dedicated staff members who will be dealing with ZSP adjudication,” Gigaba said.
The website address to be used when lodging applications will be http://www.vfsglobal.com/zsp/southafrica.

“As for applicants knowing how to actually complete their application, we will work with groups of stakeholders to publicise and demonstrate the correct procedure. We explained previously that we would announce the application fee, after finalising the costs associated with the administration of the ZSP,” Gigaba said.

In August South Africa announced a new three year permit for Zimbabweans who wish to work or study in that country, ending months of speculation following reports that the country was introducing tough measures for immigrants.

ZSP is a programme that replaced DZP, which began in May 2009 and will expire on December 31. During the DZP 295,000 Zimbabweans applied for permits and about 245,000 permits were issued, with the balance being due to lack of passports or non-fulfilment of other requirements.