Frantic scramble as December deadline looms for 178,000 Zimbabwean Exemption Permit holders

27 Aug 2022 – Daily Maverick

 

According to the Department of Home Affairs, fewer than 4% (6000 out of 178 000) of Zimbabwe Exemption Permit holders have made representations to the Department of Home Affairs to say why their documents should not be terminated in December.

Fewer than 4% (6,000 out of 178,000) of Zimbabwean Exemption Permit (ZEP) holders have made representations to the Department of Home Affairs to say why their documents should not be terminated in December. But the permit holders have to contend with dysfunctional Home Affairs offices and high costs.

Financial constraints and hard-to-meet criteria for alternative permits will lock thousands of Zimbabweans out of their lives in South Africa as the invalidation of the Zimbabwean Exemption Permits (ZEP) looms.

Liesl Fourie, an attorney at Nelson Mandela University’s Refugee Rights Centre, says: “ZEP holders have to apply for alternative immigration visas… to legalise their stay in SA. These visa applications are R1,750 per visa, plus an additional R800 for the SA Police [Service] clearance certificate, plus medical and radiological reports.

“In addition, they also require a Zimbabwean police clearance certificate and a Zimbabwean passport which will be valid for many months after the expiry of the visa that they are applying for.

“All of this costs money. Each family member, including minor children, who reside in SA, will have to make their application, so the cost increases exponentially with every family member present in SA.”

According to the Department of Home Affairs, fewer than 4% (6,000 out of 178,000) ZEP holders have made representations to the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) to say why their documents should not be terminated in December.

Precarious situation

Arnold Bosso (31) has lived in Verulam, KwaZulu-Natal for 14 years and says he is in a precarious situation as he is a construction worker, which is not considered to be a critical skill. Outside of that, he doesn’t qualify or have the money to acquire a different permit for himself or his family of six.

“When I came to SA I had my excavator operator’s certificate, but I couldn’t find a job. Then I went to college and did office administration and business management. But it was hard for me to find a job till now and I decided to do construction for me and my family to survive. We’ve got drivers, housemaids, they were told to apply for critical skills but they don’t qualify,” Bosso said.

The Cabinet created the Dispensation of Zimbabweans Project (DZP) in 2009. The beneficiaries of this project remained in South Africa as holders of permits issued under the subsequent ministerial exemption dispensation. With the 2010 World Cup looming, it brought skills to the construction and hospitality sectors, which needed labour at the time. People such as Bosso filled this need by specialising in these industries to make a living.

“The minister of home affairs already decided in 2021 to terminate the ZEP visas. He simply afforded ZEP visa holders a one-year extension on the validity of their ZEP visas to legalise their stay in SA by obtaining an alternative visa — for example, work, study or relatives visas — before the end of 2022,” said Fourie.

“This extension was probably only granted because the minister of home affairs made the announcement not to extend the ZEP visas so late in 2021 and also bearing in mind the large backlog in visa applications at the DHA occasioned by the Covid-19 lockdown [the department worked at reduced capacity at its head office, where visa applications are processed].

“It will therefore not serve any purpose for ZEP holders to make submissions; they have to apply for alternative visas within our immigration system to legalise their stay in SA.”

Survival choice

Home Affairs Director-General Livhuwani Tommy Makhode asserts that Zimbabwe is in a much better state than it was when asylum was first warranted and therefore Zimbabweans can go home. However, Bosso says things may be different, but people are still suffering in his home country.

“Zimbabwe doesn’t have industries to accommodate all the people who want work; nothing is much better in Zimbabwe. Coming to SA was the best choice for us to survive. They can say whatever they want, that Zimbabwe is better, but people are suffering. For example, how can you say a country is better when they don’t have their [own]) currency?”

Fourie says activists and organisations such as the Helen Suzman Foundation have faced challenges while trying to fight the termination of the ZEP.

Minister of Home Affairs, Aaron Motsoaledi. (Photo: Gallo Images / Sunday Times / Alon Skuy)

“The minister’s decision not to extend the ZEP visa is an administrative act and several organisations have taken this decision on judicial review. All of these applications taking the minister’s decision on review have been opposed by the DHA, and Minister [Aaron] Motsoaledi has even gone as far as instituting ‘Slapp suits’ against the legal practitioners representing the ZEP holders in these matters,” she said.

“The current application for judicial review brought by the Helen Suzman Foundation is probably the best chance of success that ZEP holders might have in having their special dispensation visas extended.

“It is, however, also being opposed and the minister of home affairs, in addition, is trying his best to discredit the Helen Suzman Foundation in the media.

“Having regard to the nature of this application and the court roll in the Western Cape High Court where this application was launched, I doubt that this matter will be finalised before the end of 2022 unless special arrangements/agreements are made to deal with this issue on an urgent basis and for the court to allocate a date for the hearing thereof,” Fourie added.

www.samigration.com

It's not only Zim - Lesotho special permits will also end soon, says Motsoaledi

Fin24 -27 August 2022

South Africa plans to end most special permits for foreigners as it revamps its immigration policies to manage an influx of economic migrants.

The government announced that a special dispensation allowing Zimbabweans to live and work in South Africa will expire at the end of this year, while similar concessions for about 90 000 people from neighbouring Lesotho will expire in 2023 and won’t be extended, Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said. Permits for Angolan residents were terminated in August 2021.

“We are not targeting” any particular nationality, Motsoaledi, 64, said in an interview in Bloomberg’s Johannesburg office. Many “economic migrants” abused the nation’s asylum provisions by falsifying reasons for leaving their countries, he said, adding that implementing sovereign laws wasn’t xenophobic. 

South Africa has been a magnet for people seeking better economic opportunities from across the continent, particularly from the Southern African Development Community countries. Arrivals ballooned in 2008 as the global financial crisis combined with an economic collapse in Zimbabwe triggered mass migration, the minister said. 

That year as many as 227 000 people from Zimbabwe moved to its southern neighbour, according to Motsoaledi, a medical doctor by profession. Many were given permits, which were extended until 2021. 

South Africa is grappling with a 33.9% unemployment rate - the highest on a list of 82 nations monitored by Bloomberg -- and its economy is stuck in its longest downward cycle since World War II. The country of about 60.6 million people is home to almost 4 million migrants, according to government data.

The presence of foreigners in South Africa has sparked resentment among some locals, who see them as competitors for scarce jobs, health care and housing, and the country has been wracked by intermittent xenophobic violence.

A video circulating on social media this week showed Phophi Ramathuba, the head of the health department in Limpopo province, which borders Zimbabwe, reprimanding a Zimbabwean patient for seeking treatment in South African. Residents from the neighbouring country put a “huge strain” on Limpopo’s medical facilities, she said on the clip.

Divisive

“Nobody will be denied medical service,” Ramathuba, a member of the ruling African National Congress, later told News24, while reiterating that she stood by her comments. The South African Medical Association said it “deplores the manner” Ramathuba chose to address the challenges facing the health care system.

Public hospitals and clinics are struggling to meet the needs of citizens “and reduce backlogs due to unpredictably high number of undocumented migrants” seeking care in the country,” South Africa’s Department of Health said in a statement, responding to the Ramathuba’s comments. 

As South Africa heads into the 2024 general elections, the presence of foreign nationals in the country has become a divisive point, with some parties positioning their electoral propositions around reducing their numbers. 

At a recent ANC policy conference. it was proposed that South Africa withdraw from the 1951 United Nations convention on refugees. The convention constrained the government’s ability to deal with the migration crisis and “a new instrument,” needs be adopted, the party said.

Meanwhile, the end of the Zimbabwean exemption permit has spurred legal action against the government challenging its constitutionality. About 178,000 citizens who were issued the permits have until December 31 to apply for a regular visa or leave South Africa. 

So far, 6 000 Zimbabwean Exemption Permit holders have asked the Department of Home Affairs not to terminate their documents, according to the Daily Maverick.

www.samigration.com

Second citizenship in the Caribbean countries: Grenada, also Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Dominica,

 

Dear All

We are adding to our services a second citizenship in the Caribbean countries: Grenada, also Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, and also in addition Turkey and residency of the UAE.

Some of the investment for the Caribbean countries are low but the benefits are enormous and when we work out the investment required it is low relative to say $150,000 is the equivalent of R2,4 million

Emigration options for South Africans , Nigerian and Congolese looking for residency and citizenship – Passport Options

If you’re one of the growing number of South Africans, Nigerian and Congolese looking for a second residency or citizenship, there’s a country out there with your name on it. But make sure you do your homework, as residency and citizenship options are constantly evolving and changing.

One recent change saw Portugal, which offers a residency programme popular with South Africans, limit the purchase of qualifying residential property to its low density designated interior regions and increase the minimum investment applicable to its many other qualifying investment options.

However, there are still a broad range of residency and citizenship programmes available for South Africans ,  Nigerian and Congolese either looking for a ‘Plan B’, or simply wanting to benefit from greater investment and business opportunities, tax efficiency, improved lifestyles, education options and greater freedom of movement, said Ceri Pratley, a residency and citizenship consultant at Sovereign Trust SA.

“Correctly planned and implemented, residency and citizenship programmes provide a solid foundation that enable individuals and families to build comprehensive, flexible and tax efficient wealth management strategies,” said Pratley.

“But it’s important to realise that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Everyone has different requirements and objectives, which means that alternative residency should be approached holistically.”

Navigating the range of options can be a daunting task, as there are various types of residency and citizenship programmes available, with different qualifying requirements applicable in each country.

Residency Programmes:

•             Financially Independent or Passive Income Programmes offer residence permits to applicants who can demonstrate a passive income or personal wealth above a specified amount. These generally require you to make the chosen country your primary place of residence and place of tax residence.

•             Active, Start-up and Business Investment Programmes offer residence permits to applicants who establish a business or invest in a business, creating local employment opportunities and economic activity in the chosen country. Here the options are broader, and the amount needed as an initial investment can be low.

•             Business Incubation Programmes provide residence permits to applicants who invest and work with specialist business incubation partners and local government-backed research and development (R&D) facilitators to establish a local business and economic activity. In some cases, these programmes have low minimum stay requirements.

•             Residency by Investment (RBI) Programmes are often referred to as ‘Golden Visas’, and provide individuals and their dependents with a residence permit and a variety of associated benefits in exchange for a wide range of investment and donation options. Programmes such as this have low minimum stay requirements.

•             Tax Residency programmes offer preferential rates for non-domiciled individuals who establish tax residency. The advantages of this can be numerous, but you will have to move your tax residency from South Africa, which comes with its own set of challenges.

Citizenship Programmes:

•             Direct Citizenship programmes offer citizenship within three to six months in exchange for an investment or government donation, generally with no physical presence requirements. They also provide residency rights within a range of other countries with which the issuing country holds freedom of movement treaties.

•             Indirect Citizenship programmes offer citizenship in exchange for government donations following a one or three-year period of legal residency.

•             Citizenship through naturalisation is a process by which you may qualify for citizenship of a country after holding legal residency for a certain period. The rules of naturalisation vary from country to country.

Typically, they include a promise to obey and uphold that country’s laws and may include additional requirements such as demonstrating an adequate knowledge of a country’s language and culture. Most countries around the world offer this route to citizenship, but many have strict requirements to get residency in the first place.

“There are many points to consider before making a decision on where to emigrate �` and it’s always advisable to seek professional assistance and start planning 12 to 18 months before heading abroad,” said Pratley.

Who offers which programmes:

•             Financially Independent or Passive Income Programmes Europe: Greece, Portugal and Spain; MENA: Mauritius and the United Arab Emirates (UAE); Asia: Thailand.

•             Active, Start-up and Business Investment Programmes Europe: Cyprus, Guernsey, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom (UK); MENA: Mauritius and the UAE; Asia: Singapore and Thailand; Caribbean: Antigua & Barbuda, the Bahamas and the Cayman Islands; North America: Canada and the United States (US).

•             Residency by Investment (RBI) Programmes Europe: Cyprus, Guernsey, Portugal, Spain and Malta; MENA: Mauritius and the UAE; Asia: Thailand; Caribbean: Bahamas and the Cayman Islands.

•             Business Incubation Programmes Europe: Portugal and France; North America: Canada and the US.

•             Tax Residency programmes Europe: Cyprus, Gibraltar, Greece, Malta, Portugal and the UK; MENA: Mauritius; Asia: Thailand; Caribbean: Antigua & Barbuda, the Bahamas and the Cayman Islands.

•             Direct Citizenship programmes Caribbean: Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts & Nevis and St Lucia.

•             Indirect Citizenship programmes Europe: Malta.

 

CARIBBEAN

Grenada Antigua and

Barbuda Dominica St. Lucia St. Kitts and

Nevis

Program type Citizenship Citizenship Citizenship Citizenship Citizenship

Non-refundable donation to the

state $150 000 $100 000 $150 000 $100 000 $150 000

Real estate investment from $220 000 from $200 000 from $220 000 from $250 000 from $200 000

Processing period 4-6 months 3-6 months 2-6 months 3-4 months 3-6 months

Exit from investment (with real

estate option) 5 years 5 years 5 years 5 years 7 years

Number of visa-free countries 180 140 137 132 152

Visa-free Schengen + + + + +

Visa-free entry to China + - - - -

Visa-free entry to the UK + + + + +

Visa-free entry to Russia + + + - +

E-2 International Visa Treaty with

the United States + - - - -

Mandatory days of residence in the

country no 5 days during 5

years no no no

Joining new family members + - - - -

Involvement of siblings + - - - -

Involvement of grandparents + - - - -

Inheritance + - - -

How can we help you , please email us to info@samigration.com whatsapp message me on:

 +27 82 373 8415, where are you now? check our website : www.samigration.com

 

Please rate us by clinking on this links :

Sa Migration Visas

https://g.page/SAMigration?gm

 

Alternatively , please contact us on :

Whatsapp  Tel No : +27 (0) 82 373 8415 - ( Whatsapp messages only, No calls )

 

Tel No office : +27 (0) 82 373 8415 ( Whatsapp messages only, No calls )

Tel No landline CT  :  +27 (0) 21 879 5560

Tel No landline JHB : +27 (0) 12 880 1490 

Tel No admin : +27 (0) 64 126 3073 – ( Whatsapp calls only – No Messages )
Tel No sales : +27 (0) 74 0366127 - ( Whatsapp calls only – No Messages )

www.samigration.com

 

Second citizenship in the Caribbean countries: Grenada, also Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Dominica,

 

Dear All

We are adding to our services a second citizenship in the Caribbean countries: Grenada, also Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, and also in addition Turkey and residency of the UAE.

Some of the investment for the Caribbean countries are low but the benefits are enormous and when we work out the investment required it is low relative to say $150,000 is the equivalent of R2,4 million

Emigration options for South Africans , Nigerian and Congolese looking for residency and citizenship – Passport Options

If you’re one of the growing number of South Africans, Nigerian and Congolese looking for a second residency or citizenship, there’s a country out there with your name on it. But make sure you do your homework, as residency and citizenship options are constantly evolving and changing.

One recent change saw Portugal, which offers a residency programme popular with South Africans, limit the purchase of qualifying residential property to its low density designated interior regions and increase the minimum investment applicable to its many other qualifying investment options.

However, there are still a broad range of residency and citizenship programmes available for South Africans ,  Nigerian and Congolese either looking for a ‘Plan B’, or simply wanting to benefit from greater investment and business opportunities, tax efficiency, improved lifestyles, education options and greater freedom of movement, said Ceri Pratley, a residency and citizenship consultant at Sovereign Trust SA.

“Correctly planned and implemented, residency and citizenship programmes provide a solid foundation that enable individuals and families to build comprehensive, flexible and tax efficient wealth management strategies,” said Pratley.

“But it’s important to realise that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Everyone has different requirements and objectives, which means that alternative residency should be approached holistically.”

Navigating the range of options can be a daunting task, as there are various types of residency and citizenship programmes available, with different qualifying requirements applicable in each country.

Residency Programmes:

•             Financially Independent or Passive Income Programmes offer residence permits to applicants who can demonstrate a passive income or personal wealth above a specified amount. These generally require you to make the chosen country your primary place of residence and place of tax residence.

•             Active, Start-up and Business Investment Programmes offer residence permits to applicants who establish a business or invest in a business, creating local employment opportunities and economic activity in the chosen country. Here the options are broader, and the amount needed as an initial investment can be low.

•             Business Incubation Programmes provide residence permits to applicants who invest and work with specialist business incubation partners and local government-backed research and development (R&D) facilitators to establish a local business and economic activity. In some cases, these programmes have low minimum stay requirements.

•             Residency by Investment (RBI) Programmes are often referred to as ‘Golden Visas’, and provide individuals and their dependents with a residence permit and a variety of associated benefits in exchange for a wide range of investment and donation options. Programmes such as this have low minimum stay requirements.

•             Tax Residency programmes offer preferential rates for non-domiciled individuals who establish tax residency. The advantages of this can be numerous, but you will have to move your tax residency from South Africa, which comes with its own set of challenges.

Citizenship Programmes:

•             Direct Citizenship programmes offer citizenship within three to six months in exchange for an investment or government donation, generally with no physical presence requirements. They also provide residency rights within a range of other countries with which the issuing country holds freedom of movement treaties.

•             Indirect Citizenship programmes offer citizenship in exchange for government donations following a one or three-year period of legal residency.

•             Citizenship through naturalisation is a process by which you may qualify for citizenship of a country after holding legal residency for a certain period. The rules of naturalisation vary from country to country.

Typically, they include a promise to obey and uphold that country’s laws and may include additional requirements such as demonstrating an adequate knowledge of a country’s language and culture. Most countries around the world offer this route to citizenship, but many have strict requirements to get residency in the first place.

“There are many points to consider before making a decision on where to emigrate �` and it’s always advisable to seek professional assistance and start planning 12 to 18 months before heading abroad,” said Pratley.

Who offers which programmes:

•             Financially Independent or Passive Income Programmes Europe: Greece, Portugal and Spain; MENA: Mauritius and the United Arab Emirates (UAE); Asia: Thailand.

•             Active, Start-up and Business Investment Programmes Europe: Cyprus, Guernsey, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom (UK); MENA: Mauritius and the UAE; Asia: Singapore and Thailand; Caribbean: Antigua & Barbuda, the Bahamas and the Cayman Islands; North America: Canada and the United States (US).

•             Residency by Investment (RBI) Programmes Europe: Cyprus, Guernsey, Portugal, Spain and Malta; MENA: Mauritius and the UAE; Asia: Thailand; Caribbean: Bahamas and the Cayman Islands.

•             Business Incubation Programmes Europe: Portugal and France; North America: Canada and the US.

•             Tax Residency programmes Europe: Cyprus, Gibraltar, Greece, Malta, Portugal and the UK; MENA: Mauritius; Asia: Thailand; Caribbean: Antigua & Barbuda, the Bahamas and the Cayman Islands.

•             Direct Citizenship programmes Caribbean: Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts & Nevis and St Lucia.

•             Indirect Citizenship programmes Europe: Malta.

 

CARIBBEAN

Grenada Antigua and

Barbuda Dominica St. Lucia St. Kitts and

Nevis

Program type Citizenship Citizenship Citizenship Citizenship Citizenship

Non-refundable donation to the

state $150 000 $100 000 $150 000 $100 000 $150 000

Real estate investment from $220 000 from $200 000 from $220 000 from $250 000 from $200 000

Processing period 4-6 months 3-6 months 2-6 months 3-4 months 3-6 months

Exit from investment (with real

estate option) 5 years 5 years 5 years 5 years 7 years

Number of visa-free countries 180 140 137 132 152

Visa-free Schengen + + + + +

Visa-free entry to China + - - - -

Visa-free entry to the UK + + + + +

Visa-free entry to Russia + + + - +

E-2 International Visa Treaty with

the United States + - - - -

Mandatory days of residence in the

country no 5 days during 5

years no no no

Joining new family members + - - - -

Involvement of siblings + - - - -

Involvement of grandparents + - - - -

Inheritance + - - -

How can we help you , please email us to info@samigration.com whatsapp message me on:

 +27 82 373 8415, where are you now? check our website : www.samigration.com

 

Please rate us by clinking on this links :

Sa Migration Visas

https://g.page/SAMigration?gm

 

Alternatively , please contact us on :

Whatsapp  Tel No : +27 (0) 82 373 8415 - ( Whatsapp messages only, No calls )

 

Tel No office : +27 (0) 82 373 8415 ( Whatsapp messages only, No calls )

Tel No landline CT  :  +27 (0) 21 879 5560

Tel No landline JHB : +27 (0) 12 880 1490 

Tel No admin : +27 (0) 64 126 3073 – ( Whatsapp calls only – No Messages )
Tel No sales : +27 (0) 74 0366127 - ( Whatsapp calls only – No Messages )

www.samigration.com

 

Zimbabwe Exemption Permit: Here is what you can take back to Zimbabwe when permits are discontinued

News24 – 16 August 2022

 

All holders of the ZEP permit had until 31 December 2021 to apply for a visa to stay in South Africa.

AFP

• About 200 000 Zimbabweans in South Africa are expected to return to their homeland.
• Anyone 16 or older can bring back a car worth up to R700 000 without paying import duty fees.
• Returning Zimbabweans can bring an unlimited quantity of household furniture and appliances.

It's four months until Zimbabweans in South Africa under the Zimbabwe Exemption Permits (ZEP) dispensation will be deemed illegal immigrants, after the South African government decided to discontinue these permits. 

About 200 000 Zimbabweans living and working in South Africa are set to leave the country and return to their homeland.

While many are hoping for a reprieve, Zimbabwe's foreign affairs and international relations minister Frederick Shava said this week that those returning "are always welcome back home".

Shava was in Pretoria to meet with his South African counterpart Naledi Pandor.

Those returning can bring a motor vehicle of their choice into the country without having to pay duty fees, but they will have to pay VAT of 14.5%.

Normally, duty for a private vehicle in Zimbabwe is 100% of its value, including freight charges, so only paying 14.5% is a significant reprieve.

The car should not be older than 10 years. Anyone bringing a car from South Africa needs to have owned it for at least six months before the expiry of their permit. 

Anyone over the age of 16 can bring in a vehicle, according to a notice by the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority. The notice read:

The suspension is granted to individuals, including their spouses and children, who have previously resided or have been employed in Zimbabwe and are returning to Zimbabwe after having resided outside Zimbabwe for a period of not less than two years.

The car should be worth R700 000 or less. The owner will also need to "report to the nearest customs office once every year, failure of which full duty waived at the time of importation shall become due and payable".

There's no limit to personal property such as furniture and household goods that people can bring back home. These goods, unlike vehicles, aren't subject to import duty.

Those intending to use the duty-free import facility should present proof that they were working or studying in South Africa.

If the goods are sold within the first two years, then duty becomes due.

The Zimbabwean government has no policy in place or grants for returning nationals to start a new venture or business when they arrive home, and most returning residents will have to depend on their savings.

The government plans to hire buses to take those who cannot afford to pay for their transport to various parts of Zimbabwe.

Shava said:

This has been on the cards for some time since the South African government pronounced the end of ZEP permits.

 

www.samigration.com