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Mashudu Netsianda, Senior Reporter

ZIMBABWEANS in South Africa are among the people set to benefit from the neighbouring country’s R350 Covid-19 unemployment grant.

The latest development follows a South African High Court ruling that refugees and asylum seekers, including Zimbabweans, in that country should be included in Covid-19 unemployment grants.

Following the Covid-19 outbreak, South Africa introduced social grants for its citizens, but refugees and asylum seekers were left out despite that they were also affected by the outbreak.

According to eNCA, the Pretoria High Court last Friday ordered the South African government should include immigrants, among them Zimbabweans, in the Covid-19 unemployment grant.

The court declared directions issued by Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu unconstitutional and unlawful. It found that it excluded certain groups from accessing the R350 grant.

The court gave the minister five days to quantify the costs of extending the grant and another five days to publish amended regulations.

There is a large number of Zimbabweans living in South Africa.

Some are formally employed across all the sectors of the economy that include banking, hospitality and education with the majority do menial jobs and others are unemployed.

However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, some were forced to return home.

The Government has assisted hundreds of Zimbabweans in South Africa who were distressed and finding it difficult to make ends meet due to the South African national lockdown and now wished to return home.

Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to South Africa, Mr David Hamadziripi said following the declaration of the state of national disaster, and the subsequent nationwide lockdown in a bid to curb the spread of novel coronavirus in South Africa, the Embassy of Zimbabwe has been reaching out to Zimbabweans in that country.

Authorities in that country have hinted that in future, businesses that employ more South Africans would be eligible for bailouts compared to those that have more migrants on their books.

@mashnets