Harare — NEGOTIATIONS to regularise the status of Zimbabweans illegally living and working in South Africa have started, following the scrapping early this week of visa requirements for locals travelling to that country.

In an interview yesterday, Home Affairs Co-Minister Kembo Mohadi issued a strong warning to Zimbabweans against abusing the visa-free regime by overstaying adding that those who did so risked the wrath of South Africa's immigration laws.

Zimbabweans can now obtain a free visitor's permit at the border or airport which entitles them to stay in South Africa for up to 90 days.

Minister Mohadi said the development was an important step in the fulfilment of free movement within the Southern African region.

"This is an important development where Zimbabweans can travel to South Africa without the restrictive visa requirements but we would like our people to respect this arrangement that will be reviewed in 12 months' time," he said.

He could not be drawn into divulging details on the negotiations on regularising the status of Zimbabweans illegally living in South Africa.

Minister Mohadi said people should not breach the present arrangement by overstaying in South Africa as the laws in that country would deal appropriately with them in any such cases.

"We have been negotiating with our counterparts in South Africa for almost 10 years and we hope that this will also help our people living along the border who intend to visit their relatives by just getting a pass using their identity cards," he said.

The same arrangement, Minister Mohadi said, had been working well with Mozambique since its inception last year.

"The arrangement with the Mozambican government has been working well without being abused," he said.

Minister Mohadi said Angola was the only Sadc member state that still demanded visas from Zimbabweans.

"We will soon be approaching our Angolan counterparts over the same issue as we move to close ranks among Sadc member states," he said.

South Africa's Home Affairs Minister, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, this week announced that Zimbabweans wishing to travel to South Africa no longer required visas.

Under the new dispensation, Zimbabweans could also apply to do casual work while in South Africa.