UPDATE: Good evening friends. Please be warned that this is a long post. Those who attended the Media briefing by the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs last week passed the information to us that the Minister of Home Affairs, Hon. Naledi Pandor, was going to ELABORATE on the implementation of the RENEWAL PROCESS of the Special Dispensation Permits on TUESDAY(yesterday). I guess this was just a provisional time from the Deputy Minister since the Minister was out of the country and her diary had not been checked. THE ELABORATION DID NOT TAKE PLACE YESTERDAY, leaving us speculating and seeing a lot of ALARM from different angles. This is not healthy and I know that the South African authorities are alive to this fact. IT IS AN URGENT MATTER TO EVERY STAKEHOLDER especially the permit holders (the affected). We await the notice of the briefing (elaboration). Let us be patient and wait, the Minister will soon elaborate as the Acting Spokesperson of Cabinet and the Deputy Minister said. Remember the Minister is also busy with other things including the elections, I have seen her on TV presenting the ANC policies. LETS BE PATIENT and not panic. The Migrant Workers Association-SA (MWASA) is in touch with 4 journalists who will seek our reaction to the pronouncement by the Minister in case we dont make it INTO THE PRESS BRIEFING venue. As a pro-active measure, we have put our Western Region Coordinator, Mr Patient Gomba, on stand-by in case the briefing takes place in Cape Town. We also have a very sympathetic organisation, PASSOP, on high alert in Cape Town. On another crucial issue; yesterday, I got a very long call from someone who has been following our work and would like to assist people who are affected in this area. The man, a Mhlanga gentleman, told me how he was dragged to court by one bank that ended up withdrawing the case after HE HANDED OVER HIS IDENTITY CARD, in good faith, during the rollout of the Special Dispensation Permits period. He told me that he would like us, the Migrant Workers Association-SA, to help people who might be UNAWARE or IGNORANT of the importance of CONFIRMATION LETTERS that people who handed their IDs should get. He said the HELPFUL HOME AFFAIRS officials helped him to save his house, cars and loans when he was taken to court. After his call, I got in touch with two people who handed their SA IDs. One told me he had to engage senior Home Affairs officials, at Director level, to get his(CONFIRMATION LETTER) because he noted that his life policies would not pay if there were discrepencies. This person was one of the people who participated at a high level during the implementation of the project. He used to give information at the public meetings we held. The other gentlemen told me he is still waiting for his confirmation letters, 3 years down the line. Mr Mhlanga sent us a copy of his confirmation letter, he said that the PHRASING(WORDING) of the letter is crucial as it should capture the issue of the old identity number and the new passport number as well as ASSETS attached to the person. Migrant Workers Association would like to utilise the experience of Mr Mhlanga, who ended up hiring lawyers, to assist those who handed over their IDs to ACQUIRE the confirmation letters so that they protect their ASSETS. If you need our help, please send an email to: [email protected] or whatsapp to us on 0736211230. Our Administrator: Mr Ezra Maplanka will be available at the office, on appointment, to help draft the letters to request for the confirmation letters. His contacts are: Cell-0788535353 landline-0110395388. WE APPEAL TO EVERYONE TO BE POSITIVE ABOUT THIS PROCESS. WE DONT BELIEVE THAT SOUTH AFRICANS ARE CRUEL AND WANT PEOPLE (ZIMBABWEANS) TO SUFFER. WHERE YOU FEEL WE MIGHT BE MAKING MISTAKES OR OVER STEPPING, PLEASE CORRECT US USING THE ABOVE DETAILS. WE ARE OPEN TO CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM. We hope that the organisations that are taking the lead in mobilising the stakeholders will soon call for a meeting where we will all put our efforts together. I think it will be improper for organisations trying to help on this PERMITS issue to run to home affairs on their own. I think if we sit on our own and present a joint proposal or position to the South African government, it will help to avoid DUPLICATION and COMPETITION. If we are willing to serve and help, there is no need for us to prop up our names or the names of our organisations but we should work under one umbrella and put people who CAN SPEAK CLEARLY and ENGAGE DEPLOMATICALLY. Such process will yield a satisfactory or acceptable outcome to the affected. Remember that the SA government was considerate when they granted the permits, we believe that they will still listen to a collective voice. I thank you!!!
Posted on: Wed, 02 Apr 2014 17:27:09 +0000