Best Wishes for 2021 - Sa Migration

Dear Client , friend , colleague and fellow life traveller

 

As we stand on the cusp of the old year of 2020 and we stand ready to welcome the new year 2021 . we pause and reflect on some of the challenges of 2020 as well as the successes.

 

·         Covid 19 and the curved balls it shot at us , but 9 months later we are still standing strong highlighting  the resilience in all of us and always fighting the good fight and for that you can pat yourself on the back or give yourself a “ high 5 “ .

You can have flaws, be anxious, and even be angry, but do not forget that your life is the greatest enterprise in the world.

Only you can stop it from going bust. Many appreciate you, admire you and love you. Remember that to be happy is not to have a sky without a storm, a road without accidents, work without fatigue, relationships without disappointments.

To be happy is to find strength in forgiveness, hope in battles, security in the stage of fear, love in discord. It is not only to enjoy the smile, but also to reflect on the sadness. It is not only to celebrate the successes, but to learn lessons from the failures. It is not only to feel happy with the applause, but to be happy in anonymity. Being happy is not a fatality of destiny, but an achievement for those who can travel within themselves. To be happy is to stop feeling like a victim and become your destiny's author

You will find that to be happy is not to have a perfect life. But use the tears to irrigate tolerance. Use your losses to train patience. Use your mistakes to sculptor serenity. Use pain to plaster pleasure. Use obstacles to open windows of intelligence. Never give up .... Never give up on people who love you. Never give up on happiness, for life is an incredible show.

In the words of a wise person , Mother Theresa

“People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.

~Mother Teresa”

We your colleagues of Sa Migration applaud you for standing strong in the face of incredible challenges , rolling up your sleeves to partner with us and even if you didn’t say much , for just being there .

May 2021 be a far better year than 2020 and stay safe !!

www.samigration.com

 


Truck drivers say they are being targeted at the Beitbridge border post

One truck driver, who spent five days at the border, alleged some drivers bribe officials to skip the long screening lines. The All Truck Drivers Foundation said law enforcement needed to beef up security at night.

Traffic at the border reportedly stretches for more than 15km.  Truck drivers say they are being left to fend for themselves at the Beitbridge border post between South Africa and Zimbabwe at night while waiting to be screened.

Truck driver and Gauteng secretary of the All Truck Drivers Foundation Mandla Mngomezulu said drivers were being robbed of their cellphones and clothes while waiting to be screened because the police were only visible during the day.

"In the last week, I have heard of about 10 incidents. Most drivers do not report them to the police because they say it's a waste of time and how are you going to attend to the case when you are on the road most of the time?" added Mngomezulu.

Last week, he spent five days at the border and said the biggest cause for the delay was the Covid-19 screening process. "There is no water here and we have to go to the bathroom in the bushes." 

*Corruption*

The executive director of the Federation of East and Southern African Road Transport Associations, Mike Fitzmaurice, described the grim conditions in an open letter to Health Minister Zweli Mkhize.

South African regulations did not take into consideration antigen tests done in Zimbabwe, said Fitzmaurice. Truck drivers are required to undergo a test upon entry to South Africa, but these are only conducted between 09:00 and 17:00. Fitzmaurice also noted the facilities and staffing levels were hopelessly inadequate to cope with the traffic volumes.

"In every residential street, there are trucks parked all over the place," he told Business Insider about the backlog on the Bulawayo road. "The whole town has been invaded by trucks [but] that's through no fault of the truckers because they have nowhere else to go."

In a statement on Wednesday, the chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs, advocate Bongani Bongo, called for intervention on the backlog at the border and stated it was necessary to find a balance between easy flowing traffic and measure in place to help contain the spread of Covid-19.

"While we understand the need for stringent health checks necessitated by Covid-19, we are also cognisant of the strategic importance of the Beitbridge crossing to trade in Africa. It is in this context that strategies should have been put in place to mitigate such an occurrence, especially in relation to reducing operating hours," Bongo said.Fitzmaurice also told BI there was corruption at the border, with some truckers paying officials to bypass the Covid-19 test.

The alleged corruption is something Mngomezulu echoed. "There is also corruption where drivers pay about R500 for their trucks to be moved to the front of the line and we are told it is because they are carrying special goods which is not the case," he said.

Limpopo police spokesperson Captain Mamphaswa Seabi encouraged truck drivers to report instances of robbery, saying they had not received any reports.

Seabi said thus far there had not been any major incidents at the border, adding it was calm, despite queuing traffic reportedly stretching for more than 15km.

www.samigration.com

 

 

 


Pastor who fought Home Affairs on refugee marriage ban finally ties the knot

Pastor who fought Home Affairs on refugee marriage ban finally ties the knot

Daily Maverick -  17 December 2020

In masks and accompanied by their attorney, their baby and witnesses, the man and woman who fought and beat Home Affairs over a ban on refugee marriages finally got hitched in Port Elizabeth on Thursday.

An ecstatic, smiling Zizipho, carrying a small bouquet of white flowers and wearing a pretty white dress with yellow flowers, said one happy word when the ceremony was over and she was married to Pastor Emmanuel Ochogwu: “Finally.”

“I am superblessed and excited,” commented the bridegroom. “This has been an amazing day — a really good day.”

In 2016 the Department of Home Affairs banned asylum seekers from getting married in South Africa in what it said was an attempt to root out marriages of convenience. It took Ochogwu’s legal team four years, but on Thursday 17 December his attorney Liesl Fourie was there to witness him and his wife finally get married.

Ochogwu, who works as a pastor at the Dominion Embassy Church in Port Elizabeth, came to South Africa in 2011 after his life became threatened by a growing number of attacks on Christian believers by the rebel group Boko Haram in Nigeria.

“I have seen and am aware of numerous Christians that have been killed by Boko Haram. These Christians were thrown in wells or burned,” he explained. “Boko Haram has also attacked churches, by burning them down or bombing them. My younger brother was killed by Boko Haram during one such attack. At a time when the attacks against Christians and churches were increasing, I came to South Africa as I feared for my life. I arrived in South Africa in 2011.”

He was issued with a temporary residence permit by the Department of Home Affairs. His application for asylum was refused but he appealed against this decision and has been waiting for seven years for a hearing. If his appeal is successful, he will be declared a refugee and be able to live permanently in South Africa.

Ochogwu married his wife, a South African citizen, under customary law in September 2015, but they have been struggling ever since to get officials from the Department of Home Affairs in Port Elizabeth to register the marriage.

First he was asked for proof of the customary union, confirming that he had paid lobola and requiring his father-in-law to provide an affidavit. Then he was sent several times to Pretoria for verification of his refugee permit application. Even after this was done, officials still refused to register his marriage, saying the law had changed and asylum seekers could no longer get married.

“As a pastor in a Christian community, I want to set an example by entering into a civil marriage with my wife as it indicates to all that this will be a monogamous, long-term relationship. We were very upset that we were not allowed to get married civilly,” he said.

In November 2016, Linton Harmse, head of the Refugee Rights Centre at Nelson Mandela University in Port Elizabeth, discovered that a directive had been sent to Department of Home Affairs offices instructing officials not to register civil unions for asylum seekers. Officials claimed they could not give Harmse a copy of this directive and the document only surfaced publicly in 2017.

Ochogwu’s legal team, led by advocate Lilla Crouse SC, went to court to have the directive declared unconstitutional. The Port Elizabeth High Court did so, but the department appealed against the ruling to the Supreme Court of Appeal. In  a scathing judgment, coupled with a punitive court order, the deputy-president of the Supreme Court of Appeal, Judge Xola Petse, last year confirmed that the directive was unconstitutional.

The couple, however, still had to wait for the department to draw up a new directive. Earlier this week the couple was called in for an interview at Home Affairs and on Thursday they were married.

“I feel so relieved,” Ochogwu said. “It gave me security. What we are doing is real. There is a strong love and commitment. There are so many fake marriages out there. We have been together for a long time. Our parents are very excited,” he said.

Ochogwu’s declaration of love to his wife during the ceremony left even the most hardened of civil servants at Home Affairs a little teary-eyed.

He thanked his legal team. “Love is real,” he said. “It is more than just a feeling. It is a commitment.”

“I am so happy,” Zizipho said. “Today at Home Affairs everyone was so eager to help us. This is going to be a wonderful Christmas.”

Fourie, an attorney from the Nelson Mandela University Refugee Rights Centre, accompanied them to make sure all went well.

“We were honoured to witness the solemnisation of Mr and Mrs Ochogwu’s marriage today,” said Fourie.

“The couple didn’t hesitate one second when we asked them to take up the challenge against the Department of Home Affairs decision to refuse asylum seeker marriages. They put a face to the thousands of faceless asylum seekers affected by this patently unconstitutional prohibition.

“Today we not only witnessed a wonderful couple’s marriage, but we also witnessed justice and human rights prevail. We wish Mr and Mrs Ochogwu a long and happy marriage together,” she said.

www.samigration.com

 


British Airways halts direct flights between Durban and London

British Airways halts direct flights between Durban and London

News 24 - 21 December 2022

British Airways plans to suspend the direct flight route between Durban and London from March 2021. A total of 13 destinations are expected to be halted in light of the pandemic.

 The Dube Trade Port Special Economic Zone says this will hamper international air services into the region.

KwaZulu-Natal's Dube Trade Port Special Economic Zone on Monday said airline company British Airways' decision to cancel the direct flight route between Durban and London will hamper the growth of international air services into the region post-Covid-19.

"As a route development committee, we understand the reasoning behind British Airways’ decision. The impact of Covid-19 and subsequent travel restrictions globally have resulted in low anticipated demand. It is therefore not unreasonable that an airline like British Airways reduces the routes in its network,” said Dube TradePort Special Economic Zone CEO Hamish Erskine.

According to reports, the airline company is set to suspend direct flights to 13 destinations in light of the decreased demand due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

As of 28 March, 2021, flights between the United Kingdom and the following destinations will halt: Durban, Pittsburg (USA), Charleston (USA), Calgary (Canada), Lima (Peru), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Osaka (Japan), Seoul (Republic of Korea), Dammam (Saudi Arabia), Abu Dhabi (UAE), and Muscat (Oman).

KZN MEC for economic development, Ravi Pillay, said he was confident that the route would be restored post-Covid-19.“Our social and economic links to the UK are enduring. This will translate itself into continued demand for flights between Durban and London for tourism, trade and visits to friends and family," said Pillay.

"British Airways’ decision should be seen in the broader context of an organisation that has worked hard to keep flying despite the pandemic affecting its entire global operations. This organisation has had to make extraordinary sacrifices, letting go of some 12 000 staff and retiring 31 aircraft. Meanwhile, the UK has just emerged from its second lockdown which has meant there simply aren't that many people flying at the moment,” he added.

On Sunday Business Insider reported that multiple countries had announced that they will be closing their borders to the UK over fears of a fast-spreading variant of Covid-19 which is believed to be up to  70% more transmissible than the original strain. In order to stop its spread, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that London and surrounding areas would suddenly be plunged into lockdown

Meanwhile, Turkish Airlines has also suspended its two weekly flights to Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Durban for the December-January holiday season in light of the pandemic. Erskine said he was confident the province would survive as other airlines had expanded their routes.

“From a Durban direct route development committees’ perspective, we are confident in the resilience of the KwaZulu-Natal markets and their ability to sustain direct air services between Durban and London. Pre-Covid-19, British Airways experienced very strong load factors which were a testament to the demand for the route, supported by cargo volumes that were almost at capacity.

www.samigration.com


Beitbridge traffic now queues for up to 15km – with a big coronavirus risk from Covid-19 rules

Beitbridge traffic now queues for up to 15km – with a big coronavirus risk from Covid-19 rules

Business Insider SA -  Dec 21, 2020

  • A queue of vehicles stretching for 15km in both directions has crippled travel through the troubled Beitbridge border post.
  • Curfews and Covid-19 testing protocols are blamed for adding to the delays, which can last more than 24-hours in South Africa and seven days in Zimbabwe.
  • With no roadside ablution facilities or running water, the backlog and associated intermingling between drivers has the potential to become a super-spreader event.
  • You can get to the front of the queues and even bypass the Covid-19 test if you have money for a bribe, says an appalled transport association.

Stringent Covid-19 regulations – including testing, symptom screenings, and curfews – is being blamed for a traffic jam stretching for kilometres on both sides of the Beitbridge border post between Zimbabwe and South Africa. Now the backlog may actually be hastening the virus’ spread near Musina, and a super-spreader event can not be ruled out. 

According to reports from law enforcement officials conducting roadblocks just north of Musina, and truck drivers stuck in a stagnant queue of vehicles, the traffic backlog leading to Beitbridge ranges between 10km and 15km, across two lanes.

Frustrated freight truck drivers attempting to pass into Zimbabwe report being stuck at the border for more than 24 hours.

Passenger vehicles, taxis, and busses all battle to edge ahead of the slow-creeping queue. Many motorists and travellers caught in the December dash are forced to sleep in their vehicles.

While these scenes aren’t unusual during the busy festive season – in 2019, more than 200,000 travellers crossed into Zimbabwe in the week leading up to Christmas – complications arising from Covid-19 protocols are leading to longer delays even while travel is discouraged.

Although Beitbridge border is regarded as a 24-hour post, curfews in both Zimbabwe and South Africa have stopped operations between 22:00 and 04:00, with only freight-carrying vehicles allowed through during those hours, while passenger vehicles and pedestrians may not cross.

All people passing through the border post are required to present a negative Covid-19 test which is adding further pressure to the already-burgeoning backlog. Thupeyo Muleya of the Beitbridge Bureau reports that travellers caught up in the traffic jam arrive at the border post with “expired” Covid-19 test results.

South African regulations require all persons to present a negative Covid-19 certificate no older than 72 hours. Travellers argue, however, that due to delays on the border, these valid certificates, which were acquired before setting out on their journeys, expire before reaching the actual border checks.

An expired Covid-19 certificate forces travellers to cough up more money for a roadside resampling, or trip back to a public clinic in Musina – and then travellers have to join the back of the queue again.

The consequences could be deadly, with travellers mingling with little sign of social distancing, and without running water.

And although the situation on the South African side of the border has been noted with serious concern as a potential super-spreader event, Covid-19 risks in the small town of Beitbridge have been described as a “humanitarian crisis”.

Mike Fitzmaurice, the executive director of the Federation of East and Southern African Road Transport Associations (Fesarta), described the grim condition in an open letter to health minister Zweli Mkhize.

South African rules do not take into consideration antigen tests done in Zimbabwe, says Fitzmaurice. Truck drivers are required to undergo a test upon entry to South Africa, but these are only conducted between 09:00 and 17:00. Additionally, Fitzmaurice notes that the facilities and staffing levels are hopelessly inadequate to cope with the traffic volumes.

As a result, more than 3,000 truck drivers have been delayed by seven days, living in appalling conditions along the road or at poorly equipped parks. Others have flooded the small town of Beitbridge.

“In every residential street, there are trucks parked all over the place,” Fitzmaurice told Business Insider South Africa about the backlog on the Bulawayo road. “The whole town has been invaded by trucks [but] that’s through no fault of the truckers because they have nowhere else to go.”

Fitzmaurice says there is another dangerous aspect to the situation.

“The bribery and corruption is a huge opportunity [for corrupt officials]… it’s unbelievable what’s going on there right now,” says Fitzmaurice. “They’re even paying health officials to bypass the [Covid-19] test.”

Roadside traders have also started to charge exorbitant prices for goods, knowing that the stuck travellers have few options to acquire food or water, without abandoning their vehicles in search of the nearest store. Fitzmaurice says that motorists, out of desperation, are paying almost R15 for a litre of water.

Taking into account the operating costs of a commercial vehicle – including fuel use, tyre wear, deprecation of the vehicle – Fitzmaurice calculates the dire financial losses incurred by operators as a result of the backlog.

“In ten days [leading up] to Wednesday [16 December, it’s R295 million lost,” says Fitzmaurice. “Where we are now, that cost will be closer to R400 million… and that’s just south bound, [add] the north bound queue and that amount will be double. When this ends, it will be over R1 billion lost.

www.samigration.com