Mashudu Netsianda Senior Reporter
THE South African government has denied that it deported Mr Daniel Desire Mncube to Zimbabwe.

Mr Mncube (46) claims he was flushed out of South Africa for allegedly violating the neighbouring country’s immigration laws.

He found himself in a quandary after he was also declared an illegal immigrant in Zimbabwe.

The Department of Immigration says Mr Mncube faces deportation back to South Africa after it was discoveredhis name did not appear on the country’s births and deaths records.

South African Home Affairs director-general Mr Mkuseli Apleni on Monday told The Chronicle that it was not aware of Mncube’s deportation.

“We don’t deport a person without first verifying his or her status and confirming on our systems whether that the person is in South Africa illegally or not,” said Mr Apleni.

He said in the event that Mr Mncube was indeed deported, he had a right to appeal against his deportation.

“Furthermore a deportee has the right to appeal and is given an opportunity to raise issues to challenge the deportation. The deportee would need to give you power of attorney to receive information on his behalf and he is welcome to raise the issues you are presenting with the department by indicating what were the fraught procedures in order to assess what he alleges is true,” said Mr Apleni.

Mr Mncube through his lawyer, Mr Bruce Masamvu, said his deportation was fraught with procedural irregularities. He was allegedly deported on May 13 this year by the South African Home Affairs and is now staying in Beitbridge.

Mr Mncube whose father was believed to be a Zimbabwean was married to a South African and both parents are late.

According to copies of the original documents in our possession, Mr Mncube was born in South Africa on February 12, 1970.

He acquired his ID in March 1993.

His documents which include a passport, driver’s licence and an ID card were allegedly confiscated by SA Home Affairs officials.

Mr Mncube’s plight has been worsened by the fact that both Zimbabwe and South Africa have disowned him rendering him “stateless.” Statelessness occurs when an individual is not considered as a citizen of any state, and it affects an estimated 12 million people worldwide.

The history of the fight against statelessness reaches back to 1954 when the United Nations negotiated and adopted the Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons – the first global agreement to tackle this problem.

Mr Masamvu said Mncube’s deportation was unlawful and in violation of the South African Citizenship Act. The lawyer says he has since written a letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Mr Mncube is married to Ms Sarah Ntsholo who is a South African and the couple has two children.

 

You Might Also Like

Comments