Question NW1192 to the Minister of Home Affairs
13 August 2020 - NW1192
Roos, Mr AC to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
Whether his department has investigated the allegations attributed to a certain person by a certain publication (details furnished) that Zimbabweans who were repatriated to Zimbabwe through Beitbridge border on the weekend of 16 and 17 May 2020 were declared undesirable persons, contrary to the Home Affairs statement of 14 April 2020 that holders of visas which expired from mid-February 2020 and who did not renew their visas before the lockdown will not be declared illegal or prohibited persons; if not, why not; if so, what (a) remedial action has his department taken in this regard and (b) number of Zimbabweans have been declared undesirable at all South African border posts due to visas that expired during the national lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19?
Reply:
There were people that were declared undesirable during this period. The system automatically declares an over stayer undesirable and in this instance, the manager was supposed to override the system and ensure that nobody is declared undesirable. This was an oversight which was corrected and those that were identified by the department as affected by this, have been cleared. There are others that may have been unnoticed during this exercise. They are in contact with the department and are being assisted on a case-by-case basis to remove their undesirability status on the movement control system.
END