Work permits put thousands of Zimbabweans at risk of losing SA jobs

More than 250,000 Zimbabweans working in South Africa are stranded as the South African government is silent on the renewal of their work permits.

Making their situation worse is lobbying for the non-renewal of the Zimbabwe Exemption Permits (ZEPs) by some civic groups.

The last ZEPs were issued in 2017 and are due to expire at the end of December, leaving the permit holders facing an uncertain future. Some banks are already warning Zimbabweans to renew their permits.

Home Affairs media liaison officer Siyabulela Qoza was not reachable to explain the government’s stance on the migrant issue by the time of going to press.

Renew the permits

A protest march to the Union Buildings in Pretoria has been planned for November 24 by local groups to petition President Cyril Ramaphosa not to renew the permits.

The #NoToZimWorkPermits and #PutSouthAfricansFirst campaign has been trending on social media for almost two months now but the organised mark is set to heighten the drive against non-renewal of the four-year ZEPs.

One of the demo conveners, Tshidiso Rantsa told The Citizen that blocking the renewal of the permits is to preserve scarce jobs in South Africa.

 “What kind of country issues work permits to thousands of foreign nationals when more than 75 per cent of its youth are sitting at home without jobs? When we try and say something, we are labelled xenophobic for putting ourselves first,” said Rantsa.

Rantsa’s remarks come as Zimbabweans accuse their hosts of being xenophobic.

But with South Africa’s unemployment rising to a record of 34.4 per cent in the second quarter of this year, the scramble for jobs has intensified, with locals wanting foreign nationals out.

 Permanent residence status

A Zimbabwean lawyer based in South Africa, Simba Chitando, has since dragged the Home Affairs Department to court demanding that his compatriots who have been working in South Africa for 10 years under ZEP should be granted permanent residence status.

He claims he has received death threats following his court application.

Some politicians were accused of using the non-renewal of ZEPs as a campaign tool ahead of the November 1 local government elections.

They are said to have been playing the ZEP card to sell their manifestos, promising the electorate that jobs would be available if Zimbabweans return to their respective countries.

Zimbabweans constitute the highest number of foreign nationals in South Africa. But opposition party leader Julius Malema of the Economic Freedom Front on Tuesday

 “Someone said to me if you want us to vote for you in 2024 you must abandon this thing of foreigners,” said Mr Malema.

 “I’m prepared to go home, I’m fine. I’ll never go on a platform and denounce Africans, I’ll never do it. If it means votes are going, let them go. But to take a platform and please the white minority by pointing a finger at my fellow black brothers, I’m not going to do that.

“When I see a Nigerian, a Zimbabwean, a Congolese or a Ghanaian, I see myself. The EFF can commission some internal research to see to what extent this thing of foreigners is hurting the party, but I’m not prepared to take a platform and say foreigners must go home. I would rather not be President of South Africa.

 “I will be the president of my children at home. We will practice in the cabinet there. I must go and tell these hungry Zimbabweans to leave this country? When I tell them to leave, I send them where? Where must they go?”

Mr Malema has been vocal in denouncing the drive against foreign nationals and has been slamming xenophobic attacks on immigrants.

If the government does not renew, they will be having illegal immigrant status on January 1, 2021.

In response to Mr Malema on Wednesday, the leader of another opposition Patriotic Allianceopposition party, Gayton McKenzie was unapologetic on his stance on expatriates.

“People on the ground are angry with the influx of foreigners. If I was the President, I would go after the illegal foreigners and then the legal ones,” Mr McKenzie said.

Former Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba has always been on record about his views on foreigners.

During his time as Johannesburg’s first citizen, he was famed for flushing out illegal immigrants through mass deportations. He was then a senior member of the Democratic Alliance.

Critical skills jobs

But after forming his own political party, Action SA, Mr Mashaba has now moved beyond illegal immigrants. He says small businesses should be exclusively reserved for South Africans and foreigners should only be involved in critical skills jobs.

“How can anyone expect South Africa to take care of people of the world when 12 million of our own people are unemployed and desperate?” Mr Mashaba said.

 “So, I’m saying this is something that we must not shy away from discussing. I say we must discuss it and brutally so. And when we do, we must be honest with one another. 

 “I don’t want to live in a country where foreign nationals come and open hairdressing salons and spaza shops. No. Those opportunities are for South Africans.

“For foreign nationals to come and work in restaurants and drive taxis and trucks, no way. Not when we have 45 per cent unemployment. Not a chance… And I’m not going to apologise to anyone.”

On Monday, Mr Mashaba reacted scathingly when an alleged serial murderer and rapist 36-year-old Themba Prince Willards Dube appeared in a Limpopo court.

Mr Dube is an illegal immigrant and in slamming him, Mr Mashaba blanketed the accused as representative of all Zimbabweans.