OVER 90 000 Zimbabweans based in South Africa have applied for waivers to continue residing in that country legally without fear of deportation.
The statistics were provided by the Zimbabwe Community in South Africa after it engaged the Visa Facilitation Services (VFS) Global senior management on Tuesday to express concern over delays in processing applications.
“One of the main issues discussed was the problem of outcomes being marked as ‘collected’ even when applicants had not received them,” the organisation said in a statement.
“So far, 62 000 waivers have been issued, but only around 19 000 have been downloaded. It is estimated that around 30 000 applicants have still not collected their outcomes.”
It is estimated that 80 000 eligible Zimbabweans have still not yet applied for waivers, the statement read.
“They are urged to do so without delay. The issue of study permits for children whose parents’ Zimbabwe Exemption Permits (ZEP) applications are still pending will also be raised with the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) and VFS will provide a formal response,” Zimbabwe Community in South Africa said.
“The requirement for Zimbabwean police clearance by ZEP applicants will be standardised across all VFS offices to ensure consistency in processing.”
The Zimbabwe Community in South Africa advised members that it would issue an online form to collect information on all unresolved issues and encouraged applicants to call the VFS call centre for queries.
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Indications were that VFS will work on a three-option solution to address this and will advise in the coming weeks.
“A proposal was made to encourage all applicants to use online payment methods going forward, as some problems arise from overpayments with incorrect reference numbers,” the statement read.
“Although circular 7 provided a general waiver, many exemption permit applicants are still being asked to submit waiver applications. This will be raised again with the DHA.”
It also emerged that around 10 000 waiver applications submitted in 2023 remain unresolved.
“VFS, Zim Community SA and the African Diaspora Forum (ADF) will also follow up with DHA on the matter of incorrect waiver letters being sent to applicants. VFS will advise how they will handle these in coordination with DHA.”
There were about 178 000 ZEP holders with established lives in South Africa before the freeze of the permits.
African immigrants in South Africa are alarmed by the growing calls from vigilante groups such as Dudula to leave that country, accusing them of taking jobs meant for locals.
