PASSOP Appeals for an Extension of the Zimbabwean Dispensation Project Deadline

37 Church Street, Wynberg, Cape Town

Office: 021 820 4664, Fax: 086 517 6812

Attention: The Honourable Minister of Home Affairs

CC:  Honourable Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs,

Director General of Home Affairs

17 July 2011

Att: Honourable Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma

CC: Director General of Home Affairs, Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs

Re: PASSOP appeals for an extension to the Zimbabwean Dispensation Project Deadline

Dear Honourable Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma

Firstly we would like to reiterate our belief that the Zimbabwean Dispensation Project (Z.D.P.) was a progressive and positive move towards the documenting of undocumented Zimbabwean nationals in South Africa. Since its inception we have been monitoring the Zimbabwean Dispensation Project in the Western Cape. We have a notable presence, with 2 monitors stationed 5 days a week at your Wynberg office for the last 6 months (in the Western Cape), and thus feel that we are well positioned to have an opinion on the progress of the Z.D.P. After also monitoring the delivery of passports from the Zimbabwean Consulate and working with Z.D.P. clients with specific cases, we are very concerned that the process will not be completed by the 31^st of July.

We acknowledge that in the final stages of the application process –the last weeks of December 2010– the department went out of its way to accommodate applicants and enabled tens of thousands of applications, through provisions which included allowing applicants without passports to apply and postponing the taking of fingerprints by making them part of the collection process. We also commend the department both for its efficient adjudication process as well as its consistency in adjudication outcomes. We feel, however, that the distribution of permits and collection of outstanding documents, including passports and fingerprints etc., is not only time -consuming, but also less flexible and sometimes even beyond the control of both the department and applicants.

This assessment is based both on the large backlog of uncollected fingerprints, permits and the inability of the Zimbabwean Consulate , which has been both uncooperative and inefficient in delivering passports to applicants. Thus, while we recognize that there is a need for projects to have deadlines. Guided by our monitoring observations, it is our view that given the proximity of the Zimbabwean Dispensation Project deadline and the large amount of permits yet to be issued, there is a need to extend the current deadline. PASSOP therefore appeals to you both for an extension of at least 2 months and for you to take up our concern with the Zimbabwean Consulate, which, in our view, is undermining the Z.D.P. process through failing to deliver passports.

We hope that you consider our appeal, as we see this as urgent and necessary to ensure that Z.D.P. completes its objectives.

Yours truly,

Braam Hanekom

Director of PASSOP