Published by the government of Zimbabwe
5 May 2009
Harare — ZIMBABWEANS travelling to South Africa are no longer required to have visas, South Africa's Home Affairs Minister, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, has said.
According to media reports from South Africa, Minister Mapisa-Nqakula said Zimbabweans no longer need to apply and pay for visas before travelling to South Africa.
Instead, they can apply for a free 90-day visitor's permit at the border.
She said Zimbabwean citizens could also apply to do casual work while in South Africa.
Minister Mapisa-Nqakula made the announcement in the presence of her two Zimbabwean counterparts, co-Home Affairs Ministers Kembo Mohadi and Giles Mutsekwa, according to the media reports.
Zimbabwe's Ambassador to South Africa, Simon Khaya-Moyo, welcomed the development.
"The South African government has scrapped visa requirements on Zimbabweans intending to travel to the country.
"We are very grateful for this kind gesture, and we hope that our people will now be able to visit their relatives in South Africa and we will obviously not want to disturb the agreement," he said.
South African officials believe many of the 8 000 or so Zimbabweans who apply daily for asylum status would now opt for the visitor's permit.
A senior immigration officer in Harare yesterday confirmed that the ministers and Principal Chief Immigration Officer Mr Clemence Masango travelled to South Africa over the weekend to conclude the agreement.
"They travelled to South Africa, but I am not quite sure about the results. They are supposed to return tonight (last night)," he said.
In February last year, South Africa relaxed some of the stringent visa requirements for Zimbabweans intending to travel to that country following talks between the two governments.
According to the authorities, the invitation letters or evidence of the host's address in South Africa were no longer a requirement when applying for a permit.
The security deposit was required only in respect of persons with a history of "overstaying" in South Africa or whose bona fides were questionable.
Applicants for a visitor's visa were now required to submit a valid passport, one passport-size photograph and proof of funds in the form of traveller's cheques, credit cards or foreign bank statements that showed balance of at least R2 000.
The scrapping of these stringent visa requirements was the culmination of talks between Zimbabwe and South Africa under the Joint Permanent Commission on Defence and Security that began in November 2007.
The relaxing of the visa requirement was the first step towards the eventual removal of the visa.
South Africa had recently announced that it would soon scrap the visa and grant Zimbabweans permits to work in that country.
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YA BUT STILL..SOMEONE HAVE TO KILL THE PROBLEM FROM THE START..WITH MUGABE AS A PRESIDENT ZIMBABWE HAVE NO HOPE!!!!!!!!! AND IF THE AFRICAN LEADERS CONTINUE ACTING LIKE THAT (AS IF NOTHING WRONG GOING ON)THE PEOPLE IN THAT POOR COUNTRY WI'LL DIE OF STARVETION,DESEASES,ECT...ALL TOGETHER WE CAN DO SOMETHING BELIVE GUYS..HOW MANY GUYS LIKE MUGABE TH WORLD BEEN SEEN?ALOTS....HOW MANY OF THEM ARE STILL ALIVE?VERY FEEW..COZ IN THE OTHER COUNTRYS AND CONTINENTS THEY ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING IF THEY'RE NOT HAPPY WITH SOMETHING BUT IN AFRICA THE PEOPLE JUST SEEMS TO ALONG WITH IT:(..WHAT A SHAME!!!!
Colonial borders are coming down now and thank you Msholozi JZ there is need to break those colonial bounderies created to seperate us. This is a new start towards assimilation of borders and the next step is single currency and we can celebrate a real UHURU WEAFRIKA yethu. We must remember its not yet UHURU but we need not to give up the fight, fight for our rights. There is some thing wrong about Colonial Borders and they need to be revisited and we can move forward, do we still need them? Your answer JZ is what Afrika needs. No more talking but doing things and making it happen.
I thank the South African government for all your kindness especial to the Zimbabwean people. you have supported us in all bad times for a long time. MAY GOD BLESS YOU.
Thank you.