Some South African students studying at Wuhan University in Hubei province in China have not received their stipends for the past three months. Photo: Wuhan University/LinkedIn

 

Some South African students studying at Wuhan University in Hubei province in China have not received their stipends for the past three months because the Free State government allegedly instructed embassy officials in that country to stop the payments.

City Press understands that this issue is just the tip of the iceberg, as the 27 students are allegedly owed more than R25 million for books and visa permit allowances that have allegedly not been paid for the past three years.

The Free State government confirmed that there were “delays” in stipend payments, including late tuition fees. The provincial government attributed this to the repatriation of the students due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The province, however, did not respond to claims relating to unpaid funds for books and visa permit allowances, only stating that it was “working around the clock to resolve other issues” raised by the students.

Ruben Sondag, leader of a National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) branch that represents the students, said the stipends were stopped in March this year. 

“Most of the people arrived early in 2020. We all received our stipends via our Chinese bank cards. March was the last time we got our stipends. What officials are saying is just an excuse. “The embassy was told to stop paying our stipends by April. The mission was advised not to proceed [paying] any student who was in South Africa,” Sondag said.

He said the nonpayment of stipends resulted in some of them being unable to buy data for online exams and to conduct research.

Sondag said those affected included three medical students, four finance, five accounting, and 15 international economics and trading students.

All we need is help from the Free State government to pay our stipends and tuition so that we can continue with our studies

Newman Chingwaru

Each of them, he said, was supposed to receive a R5 550 monthly stipend as well as a R23 430 annual book allowance and R2 400 for their visa permit.

Newman Chingwaru, deputy leader in the Nehawu branch, said students were willing to return to China when the pandemic had subsided and things return to normality.

“We need help to continue with our studies and online classes, which we have to finish before the end of this semester. Failure to so will lead to our repeating the year. All we need is help from the Free State government to pay our stipends and tuition so that we can continue with our studies,” Chingwaru said.

Fruitless interaction with embassy authorities

City Press has in its possession a trail of communication between the students and embassy officials in China. In an email dated April 7, the students asked the embassy whether their funds had been received.

Lesego Pelompe, who is referred to as a third secretary for corporate services and consular affairs on the department of international relations and cooperation’s website, responded on April 17, saying: “As previously mentioned, the mission has not received any new approvals from April 2021/22, therefore no payments can be done until approvals are received. As I said previously, it would be appreciated if you follow up with the relevant department in this regard.”

On April 19, the students sent another email to ask when their stipends would be paid, as they were busy with online exams and theses. “Most of them don’t have internet access and can’t afford to buy data,” the email reads.

In an email sent on April 27, Pelompe responded that “the mission was advised not to process any payments, as students are still in South Africa”.

She then referred students to the Free State government for further clarity.

‘Unintended delays’

Setjhaba Maphalla, spokesperson for Free State Premier Sisi Ntombela’s office, said that despite “unintended delays due to ratification and internal Public Finance Management Act processes, there was approval granted for payment of stipends and tuition for the students”.

The delay, Maphalla said, was also due to the fact that students had been back in the country since the beginning of the national state of disaster, which was declared in March last year.

The caring government of the Free State has attended to the matter expeditiously

Setjhaba Maphalla, spokesperson for Free State Premier Sisi Ntombela

“The students were part of the cohort [that was] repatriated by the national government during the beginning of the lockdown in 2020. As such, a benchmarking process had to be undertaken in consultation with the provincial treasury and the higher education, science [and innovation] department to ensure that the money paid was appropriate and justified, as students were no longer in the People’s Republic of China, but studying online and remotely from their respective homes. 

“The students will thus get a stipend in line with the standards of living in South Africa, considering issues such as data for online studies, and not the R5 500 as stipulated by your publication, as they are no longer in China. After thorough considerations, the students will thus receive R2 500. “The caring government of the Free State has attended to the matter expeditiously ... Government continues to work around the clock to resolve other issues raised by the students,” Maphalla said

He added that the provincial government had a good story to tell as it had helped about 1 000 students to study abroad, pursuing degrees in subjects in areas that were identified as critical to the development of the province, including agriculture, engineering, trade, economics and business, as well as humanities and medicine.

www.samigration.com

Cape Town - The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has yet to publish guidelines for their refugee offices despite Minister Aaron Motsoaledi’s pledge in mid-June that this would happen.

In mid-June, during a debate in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), Motsoaledi told provincial premier and constitutional standing committee chairperson Ricardo Mackenzie (DA) that the process was ongoing.

Reminding Motsoaledi of his promise, Mackenzie said that since March last year, when the offices closed, the refugees have been struggling.

“Effectively, the DHA continues to ignore a community that should be receiving compassion and necessary support from the national government. Reports from my constituency in Mitchells Plain, and across the Western Cape, indicate that refugees are being turned away from DHA offices.

“DHA staff have been left without guidance from the national government of which services they are allowed to provide to refugees. As a result, these services remain unavailable at DHA offices

“Without the proper documentation, refugees cannot legally apply for work, rent a home or apply for a driver's license. It is unacceptable that refugees have to bear the brunt of incompetence from the DHA,” he said.

By the time of writing this story, the DHA had yet to reply to queries sent on Tuesday morning.

Meanwhile, some of the former Greenmarket Square refugees who the DHA had given until the end of April to either reintegrate into South African communities or be deported, have said they want to renegotiate terms.

At the time, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) made a deal with the refugees in which those who chose to be reintegrated into SA communities would have to find themselves accommodation, for which the UN offered to pay the first three months of rent.

As for those refugees who choose to be repatriated to their home countries, the International Organization of Migration would pay for airline tickets.

A spokesperson for the refugees, who requested anonymity, said some of the refugees wanted to be transferred to a third country, an option previously ruled out by the UNHCR.

“We are suffering here in South Africa, it is too dangerous to go back to our homes and we want to go somewhere else. The UN said it is not negotiable, but we believe we can still discuss this option,” he said.

www.samigration.com

 

Cape Town – A heartbroken matriculant from Kensington High School initiated a petition to request that the Department of Home Affairs establish a matric ID or citizenship helpline for stateless children who are yet to write their finals.

Born in South Africa to foreign national parents, Karolyn Mujinga, 18, has an unabridged birth certificate without an ID.

“For the past two years, I’ve tried several times to apply for an ID, however the results has always been unsuccessful. Currently, I only have my unabridged birth certificate and that is not deemed valid anywhere.”

“With my petition I am calling on the Department of Home Affairs to create a citizenship helpline or provision for South African born refugees in South Africa to be able to apply for citizenship, so that I and many others like me can have equal opportunities,” Mujinga said.

More than 13 000 people have signed the petition to draw attention to the inequality that adversely affects the future of stateless children.

The petition letter reads that, in 2014, the Department of Home Affairs set up a Matric ID helpline and this was to expedite ID applications so matriculants could receive their ID in time for their exams.

However this year, the Department of Home Affairs only made provision for South Africans who have valid documentation to apply for their ID, and not undocumented South Africans who were born to refugee parents, who’ve waited until they turned 18 (which is a requirement) to apply for citizenship. Additionally, the citizenship section remained closed since the beginning of the pandemic.

“This is a complete disregard of our situation and it leaves stateless matriculants' future in limbo. Every matric learner in South Africa is being accommodated for, yet our basic right to equal education and opportunity is being overlooked during these unprecedented times.”

“Those who are undocumented waited until they had to reach matric to get their IDs, however this is currently not the case. All I am asking is for us to be treated equally. Our right to education is being violated and no provision has been made or a helpline has been created to cater for stateless children during the lockdown. Must we wait until Covid-19 disappears for us to be accommodated in the system?” Mujinga said.

The Department of Home Affairs was contacted for comment and Home Affairs spokesperson Siyabulela Qoza said that the matter is being investigated.

www.samigration.com

Motsoaledi backtracks on Home Affairs' ultimatum to remove illegal  immigrant councillor from payroll

News 24  - 04 August 2021

  * *Aaron Motsoaledi has distanced himself from an official in his  department who instructed a municipality to remove a former mayor from its payroll.*

  * *Nthateng Maoke, former mayor of the Setsoto Local Municipality, was found to be in the country illegally, but continues to be paid as a  councillor.*

  * *The home affairs official gave the municipality an ultimatum to remove Maoke from its payroll.*

Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has distanced himself from two letters written by a subordinate who issued an ultimatum to the embattled Setsoto Local Municipality to remove former mayor Nthateng Maoke from its payroll because she has been found to be in the country illegally.

Maoke continues to draw a salary as an ordinary councillor despite having been found to be in South Africa illegally.

Nolwandle Qaba, home affairs' acting chief director for inspectorate immigration services, wrote two letters to Setsoto council speaker Krog Mokhuoane on 25 May and 10 June 2020. In the letters, he cautioned the municipality, saying that its continued employment of Maoke was a violation of the Immigration Act because home affairs had found during an investigation in 2019 that she was a Lesotho national.

She said home affairs would take legal action against the municipality if it did not comply and remove Maoke from its payroll.

One of Qaba's letters read:

Mrs Maoke is an illegal foreigner and the review before the court does not suspend the decision taken by the department… You are, therefore,instructed in terms of section 36 of the Immigration Act 13 of 2002 to initiate the process of terminating her employment with immediate effect, failure of which will leave the department with no choice but to take further legal action against the council for employing an illegal foreigner.

However, in a letter written to the municipality that surfaced this week, Motsoaledi renounced the strong stance of his subordinate and informed Mokhuoane that Qaba's two letters were not "sanctioned nor approved by any competent authority within the Department of Home Affairs".

The minister went on to say that Maoke's case was still pending before the High Court, with the Department of Home Affairs opposing it. He said as such, his department did not want to make any rush proclamations.

"The Department of Home Affairs merely took steps to inform you (the municipality) of the (citizenship) status of Ms Maoke.  

As to the [course] of action to be taken by the municipality, that is entirely in your hands," read Motsoaledi's letter to the municipal speaker. When contacted by News24, Motsoaledi's spokesperson, Siyabulela Qoza, said the minister was in a Cabinet meeting, hence he was unable to onsult with him and verify the authenticity of the letter. His comment will be added once received.

Three council members who spoke to News24 have confirmed that the speaker informed them of the contents of the minister's letter.

An ANC councillor said:

Qaba's letter had given the council ammunition to finally do the honourable thing and ask Maoke to step aside even from the council duties that she retained after resigning as mayor. That same strong stance by Qaba had given council members, both from the ANC and the opposition, the will to also try and stop her from receiving remuneration until such a time as she wins her High Court challenge.

Another councillor criticised home affairs' contradictory stance, saying Motsoaledi's communication was "creating doubt on whether the Department of Home Affairs is serious about rooting out senior government officials who have attained citizenship illegally".

"We are aware that the head of the human settlements department in Mpumalanga (Kebone Masange) was also being investigated for having fraudulently received... citizenship, but instead of finality being brought to the matter, the director of law enforcement and special investigation in the immigration inspectorate (advocate Amanda Ledwaba),who was investigating the matter, was mysteriously suspended (on 14 September 2020)," another ANC councillor said.

"It seems like this is what is happening now with Qaba, as the minister appears to be throwing her under the bus and suggesting that she was...sending out communication in a rogue manner without approval from her seniors," the councillor added.

Mokhuoane did not respond to questions sent by News24.

Maoke, who was the small Free State municipality's ANC mayor from September 2016, unceremoniously resigned from her position in December 2019 after she was accused of being in the country illegally and obtaining her South African ID fraudulently. She only resigned as mayor and retained her position as councillor.

Opposition parties the DA, EFF and the United Front of Civics then opened a case of fraud against her. The parties demanded that she return all the money she had earned from her government position.

She has since continued to draw a salary because she lodged a court review against the department regarding her citizenship status.

As an executive mayor, Maoke was being paid just more than R500 000 a year. As an ordinary councillor, she earns an annual salary of about R300 000.

www.samigration.com

Qualifying Angolans invited to apply for exemption permit

Friday, August 6, 2021

 

The Department of Home Affairs has invited qualifying Angolan nationals to apply for the Angolan Exemption Permit.

Those who qualify for the exemption permit include:

• Angolans who were issued with the Angolan Cessation Permit (ACP) but did not apply for the Angolan Special Permit (ASP);
• Angolans who were issued with the Angolan Special permit, and
• All Angolan refugees or asylum seekers who were issued with Section 24 or Section 22 permits before 31 August 2013 -- the date when the Tripartite Commission Agreement was signed, marking the end of the Civil War in Angola.

“The spouses and children of the affected Angolan nationals will be allowed to apply for mainstream visas or permits after the main member has obtained his/her exemption permit. The department forecasts that 5 000 Angolans could qualify to apply,” said Home Affairs spokesperson, Siya Qoza.

 The requirements to apply for the Angolan Exemption Permit are the following:

• Proof of Refugee/Asylum Seeker Permit issued before 31 August 2013;
• Copy of Angolan Cessation Permit or Angolan Special permit;
• Angolan passport valid for more than 12 months on date of application;
• A South African Police Report, which the department will obtain on behalf of the applicant, and
• Any other information that the applicant wishes to submit.
   

The Visa Facilitation Services (VFS) processing fee is R1 090. 

“All applications must be submitted online at the VFS office nearest to the applicant from 16 August 2021. 

“The turnaround time to issue the Angolan Exemption Certificate is eight weeks,” Qoza said.

www.samigration.com