Pretoria - Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma has set her department a deadline of a little more than five months to complete the process of documenting Zimbabwean nationals.
By 30 June, Home Affairs officials would have sifted through the more than 275 000 applications from Zimbabweans who applied to have their stay in South Africa regularised.
According to the department's director of the Zimbabwean Documentation Process, Jacob Mamabolo, by this date, all applications need to have been adjudicated; thousands need to have been reviewed and successful applicants need to have been issued with their permits.
He said once the documentation process was complete, Zimbabwean nationals, whose applications had been approved would have until 31 July to collect their permits from the department's offices countrywide. This would give them a month's grace period.
"From August 2011 onwards, Zimbabweans, who are not in possession of the necessary documentation that regularises their stay in country, will be subject to our normal immigration laws," Mamabolo added.
He said that while 1 August was not a deportation date, the department would continue to conduct their normal operations with law enforcement agencies to implement the Immigration Act.
The department had a comprehensive plan in place to ensure that the 30 June deadline is met.
"This includes fast tracking the dispatch and adjudication of all outstanding applications, the fingerprinting of applicants, sustained engagement with the Zimbabwean government to fast track the issuance of passports to approved applicants and stakeholder engagements with other interested parties," Mamabolo said.
Cooperation from the Zimbabwean government was essential if the deadline was to be met, he said, adding that the department was expected to initiate "sustained engagement" with the Zimbabwean government to expedite the issuing of passports.
Dlamini Zuma is expected to meet her Zimbabwean counterpart next week to discuss the issue and Director General Mkuseli Apleni will also meet high ranking Zimbabwean officials.
