WASHINGTON - Zimbabwe’s ambassador to South Africa, David Hamadziripi, says his government is willing to assist and facilitate the return of thousands of Zimbabweans, who want to go back home if they fail to regularize their status in that country by the end of June.
In an exclusive interview, Hamadziripi said the Zimbabwean government has decided to deploy a special team in South Africa, which will help those planning to return home.
“There will be three teams and each team will cover three provinces between the period March 12 and April 01 and during that period at each location that they will be at they will be offering consular services as well to our nationals. So, apart from the mapping exercise for Zimbabwe Exemption Permit holders we are also going to offer consular services such as birth certificates, passports and temporary travel documents.”
He said his office issued a public notice on Monday providing information on the deployment of these teams in all the nine provinces of South Africa and times and dates they will be in those locations.
Hamadziripi said the International Organization for Migration is expected to provide technical support.
“Beyond that, we will need some finances in order to support the integration of some of our nationals when they get back home.”
Some of the returning citizens are said to have requested for assistance in transport from South Africa to Zimbabwe and support in resettling back home, while others are asking for facilitation in terms of clearance of their personal household items such as vehicles and equipment that they may take home.
On such issues, Hamadziripi said his government is presently working on a statutory instrument that will provide certain specific conditions in terms of waivers of some of the existing customs regulations as they apply to returning citizens.
“These will be waived in respect of the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit holders.”
Almost 180,000 Zimbabweans will be affected when their permits expire on June 30. They face deportation if they don’t regularize their status in South Africa.
They are expected to migrate to other visas in which they don’t qualify as South Africa is looking for skilled manpower.
Most of the ZEP holders are domestic workers, farm laborers and waiters.