Sapa-DPA (London 04-30) The Sunday
Telegraph has reported that the European Union (EU) is
planning to evacuate thousands of European nationals who
may soon wish to leave Zimbabwe because of the escalating
political crisis. White Zimbabweans may be driven in
convoys under armed guard to Mozambique or South Africa.
If the situation worsens, they may be asked to go to
gathering points via BBC broadcasts. There are about
20,000 persons with EU citizenship in Zimbabwe. A Foreign
Office spokesperson has confirmed the ‘emergency
plans’ but indicates that evacuations may not take
place immediately.
The Natal Witness (04-30) In a
continuing feature, columnist Nalini Naidu examines the
story of four Congolese refugee orphans, who were
recently placed in the Salvation Army Children’s
Home. The local refugee community has rallied to raise
funds for the children. The story explores the prejudice
faced by the refugee community in Pietersmaritzburg, and
reveals that the children are now waiting to be able to
join their relatives in Canada.
Sunday Times (04-30) Insight provides an
account of Faghmeda Miller, a resident of Cape Town who
contracted AIDS from her husband, a pilot from Malawi.
Faghmeda’s narrative examines the stigma associated
with the virus, prejudice faced by people suffering from
AIDS, and her efforts to educate the Muslim community in
Cape Town about HIV/AIDS.
PanAfrican News Agency (Blantyre, Malawi 04-29)
A London based company World Impact Limited that promises
to find lucrative employment for Malawian professionals
in the Middle East and Eastern Europe is being
investigated by the Malawian police after numerous
complaints. After the company had placed an advertisement
in The Weekend Nation, many people had paid 20 pounds
application fee, but did not receive any response from
the company. The Malawian police are planning to seek the
assistance of Interpol and Scotland Yard in order to
investigate the company, and recover the money paid by
applicants. The article reports that relatives of an
applicant in London discovered the scam when they went to
the address listed in the advertisement, and only found a
‘house occupied by Nigerians’.
Mmegi/The Reporter (Gaborone 04-28) Following
Mmegi’s expose on an immigration and corruption scam
involving the Department of Immigration on alleged
‘fixing’ of passports and identity documents,
the department has been conducting an internal review of
officers. Now, the department will undergo a
‘massive shake-up’ under which large numbers of
officers are expected to be transferred or moved out of
the department. The scam was uncovered when officials at
the Ramokgwebana border post apprehended a group of
Zimbabwean ‘illegal immigrants’ with
‘fixed’ travel documents and unstamped
passports. Meanwhile, the department of immigration has
also intensified its efforts to apprehend ‘illegal
immigrants’ in Botswana.
The Namibian (Windhoek 04-28) The
Nigerian High Commission has warned the Nigerian
community living in Namibia about a gang of
‘Nigerian fraudsters’ involved in business
scams, and falsely using the name of the Nigerian
National Petroleum Corporation. The Deputy High
Commissioner has stated that people should consult the
High Commission before getting involved, because
“many people have already lost a lot of money in
this scam”.
Business Day (04-28) At the 10th
annual national congress of the National Union of
Mineworkers (NUM) in Pretoria, Thabo Mbeki has stated
that the mining industry continues to be structured by
the legacy of apartheid, and faces human rights issues
like racism. Outgoing leader of the NUM, James Motlasi
has stated that NUM has provided security to black mine
workers by helping to improve their working, living
conditions, and their wages.
Daily Mail & Guardian (Johannesburg 04-28)
Shortly after the release of a UN report indicating that
the humanitarian situation in Angola is
‘alarming’, fighting has intensified in eastern
Angola between government troops and UNITA rebels. The
region is particularly vulnerable since UN teams have not
been able to reach this area. As a result, thousands of
refugees have fled from this region into Zambia, many of
them in a precarious state.
Vanguard: National Newsreel (04-27) At
least 152 Nigerian deportees have been detained and are
being interrogated at the Force Criminal Investigations
Department (FCID) at Alagbon, Lagos. The South African
police deported these migrants, many of them Igbo men,
for overstaying in the country without valid documents.
It has been suggested that the police may conduct tests,
especially HIV tests on the migrants before releasing
them.
The Namibian (04-27) 27 trucks carrying
food from the port of Namibe in southern Angola for
refugees in the Osire refugee camp was delayed for
several hours at the Angolan Oshikango border post before
being allowed to enter Namibia. The food has been brought
in by the UN World Food Program and is meant for the
Angolan refugees at the camp. More food donations from
countries like the US are expected in the next few weeks.
The Namibian, Sapa-AFP, News24 (Luanda 04-27,
04-26) A report issued by the UN office for the
coordination of humanitarian affairs (OCHA) in Luanda,
Angola has revealed that the situation in the country is
deteriorating at an alarming rate, such that displaced
people are being forced to eat worms and grass to
survive. The fighting in Angola has displaced nearly 4
million persons, about one third of the country’s
population. UN teams from 14 relief agencies have visited
31 locations throughout Angola in April, and have
discovered that a majority of them are ‘in critical
need’, while six are in an ‘acute’
situation. The report also suggests that women, children,
disabled, and war-mutilated people are the most at risk,
surviving in ‘acute distress’. Most displaced
people are living in makeshift transit camps with
extremely poor sanitary conditions. The UN has asked
donors to double its contribution to Angola to 258
million dollars, needed to provide thousands of displaced
persons with better services.
Mopheme/The Survivor (Maseru 04-26) The
Mineworkers Development Agency (MDA), a part of the
National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has revealed that
despite agreements reached recently between the main
stakeholders in the South African gold crisis, thousands
of Basotho mineworkers are going to be retrenched.
Official Salae has revealed that though mining companies
had agreed to halt lay-offs till the beginning of next
year, miners are being tempted with “large
amounts” in order to “lure them into bowing to
retrenchments”. It is estimated that since the
beginning of this year, more than 10,000 mineworkers have
lost their jobs. Salae has also revealed that the number
of Lesotho mineworkers has dropped from 129,000 in 1989
to 64,000 in 2000. The job losses have been especially
difficult at a time when Lesotho faces deterioration in
its economy, creating further unemployment in the
country. The problem of job losses has also been
exacerbated by sluggish gold prices in world markets. The
NUM has indicated that it has set up special programs to
rehabilitate retrenched workers, including a social plan
to re-train and provide alternative employment for
retrenched miners. At the Gold Mining Summit in
Johannesburg in February, participants had approved of
the social policy plan. The plan is likely to set up a
Gold Crisis committee, which among other things is going
to study the gold mining industry, establish proper
procedures and mechanisms for lay-offs and restructuring
of the industry, and will be given formal as well as
advance notice by mining companies about retrenchments.
The Namibian, Africa News Online, IRIN (Windhoek
04-26) A large number of Angolan refugees living
in border villages in the Ohangwena region in the north
have refused to be moved to Osire and Onambutu refugee
camps in Namibia. Instead, they have indicated that they
will return to Angola as soon as the situation improves
there. Other refugees have asked the Namibian government
to provide them with land along the Namibian-Angolan
border. Immigration officials and a Namibian government
team that visited the refugees recently have apparently
rejected these suggestions. It is reported that villages
along the Namibian-Angolan border are receiving large
numbers of refugees fleeing UNITA attacks on a continual
basis, and many of the refugees are women and children.
Village residents have indicated that many refugees are
in a poor state since there is a paucity of food and
sufficient grazing land for villagers’ and refugees
livestock.
PanAfrican News Agency (Lusaka, Zambia 04-25)
During the first meeting of the Common Market for Eastern
and Southern Africa (COMESA) on peace and security in
Lusaka, Zambia’s foreign minister Walubita noted
that member states had already established groups to deal
with issues of peace and security. He asked the
participants to identify gaps in the work of these
regional groupings, and establish mechanisms through
which COMESA could work with SADC on these issues.
Walubita also stated that regional economic cooperation
and development, including the “free movement of
goods, services and persons” was unlikely because of
political instability being experienced by the regions.
City Press (04-23) The Narcotics Bureau
in Cape Town has arrested a number of Nigerians nationals
for allegedly using false identity documents and selling
drugs at Sea Point. The local police have indicated that
they are aware of an international syndicate, which
steals drugs in South Africa and sells them in other
countries. As per the police, a large number of blank
passports and forged documents have been confiscated from
three men from Gauteng arrested in recent raids.
City Press (04-23) Lindela’s chief
immigration officer Charles Mogale was recently arrested
on suspicions of accepting bribes from two Asian
‘illegal immigrants’ to prevent their
deportations to India and Pakistan. Now, the
Anti-Corruption Unit of Home Affairs is investigating
other cases of corruption by officials at the Lindela
detention centre for apprehended ‘illegal
immigrants’. A Home Affairs spokesperson has stated
that most of these allegations are unsubstantiated,
though the department is considering ‘each of them
seriously’.
Sapa (Johannesburg 04-22) In a
statement, DP spokesperson Mike Waters has requested the
South African government to scrap visa requirements for
Zimbabweans who want to enter South Africa on
humanitarian grounds. Waters has indicated that New
Zealand has already adopted a visa-free status for
Zimbabweans, and Australia is likely to follow soon. He
has revealed that the South African visa fees of R1100
are likely to be too high for many Zimbabweans,
especially those with large families.
Sapa (Pietersburg 04-22) Northern
Province has welcomed new investments by Zimbabwean
farmers who want to relocate there and open more tobacco
farms in the province. It is reported that nearly 14
Zimbabwean families have sent in their applications in
the last week or so. Pietersburg Chamber of Commerce
president Nell has revealed that many of these
applications have come from farms as ‘far away as
the other side of Harare’.
PanAfrican News Agency (Maputo, Mozambique 04-22)
At a press conference after his return from a summit of
southern African leaders, the Mozambican president
Chissano has suggested that large-scale emigration of
Zimbabwean commercial farmers into Mozambique must be
conducted through negotiations between both the
countries. However, he has stated that so far there has
not been any ‘declaration of intent’ by the
Zimbabweans government, while more than 320 white
Zimbabweans have made inquiries about relocating their
businesses. “We are open to any investment”, he
has said, while indicating that Zimbabweans citizens who
wish to invest in Mozambique will have to follow the
procedures laid down for foreign investment by the
Mozambican government.
Sapa-AFP (Gaborone 04-21) President
Festus Mogae of Botswana has expressed concern about
recent developments in Zimbabwe, fearing that it may lead
to an influx of refugees into Botswana affecting the
country’s economy adversely. Last year, the
Immigration Department in Botswana detained over 11,000
‘illegal immigrants’ and 2,500 asylum-seekers,
in which a majority of undocumented migrants were
Zimbabweans. Mogae has also indicated that the Zimbabwean
crisis is likely to reinforce ‘Afro-pessimism’.
Sapa (Beit Bridge 04-21) SABC radio has
reported that nearly 200 persons have been detained while
attempting to ‘illegally’ cross the Beit Bridge
border post at Zimbabwe into South Africa. The report
also indicates that more than 3 Zimbabwean families have
crossed the post into South Africa and have indicated
that they are leaving as a result of the land occupation
crisis in their country.
Sapa-AFP (Wellington, New Zealand 04-21)
New Zealand’s Immigration Minister has asked its
immigration officials to “soften their approach at
the border” towards Zimbabweans fleeing the land
occupation crisis. At present, citizens of Zimbabwe do
not need a visa to travel to New Zealand but they have to
satisfy the authorities that they are ‘genuine
visitors’ before being granted visitors’
permits. With the further relaxing of rules now,
Zimbabweans who have relatives in New Zealand will be
allowed to apply for residence under the family
reunification or humanitarian program. Also, Zimbabweans
with expired passports will also be allowed into New
Zealand on a visitor’s permit. The Minister has also
indicated that the relaxed entry rules will apply to
black and white Zimbabweans alike. “Our policies are
color blind”, she has commented.
PanAfrican News Agency (Maputo Mozambique 04-21) According
to a recent agreement signed by the Mozambican
authorities and the Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers’
Association, Zimbabwean commercial farmers are planning
to invest nearly 27 million US dollars during the first
five years, and create about 40, 000 jobs for local
residents in Mozambique. The farmers, intending to
resettle in the central Mozambican province of Manica,
are also expected to establish processing industries for
their crops, and contribute to the development of the
Zambezi valley.
Sapa-AFP (Harare 04-20) Officials in
Mozambique and Zambia have indicated that they will
gladly take in white farmers who are forced to leave
Zimbabwe due to the land occupations crisis in their
country. In Mozambique, negotiations have been almost
completed to resettle 150 white Zimbabwean farmers in the
eastern Manica province. The first group of Zimbabwean
farmers is expected to arrive by the beginning of the
agricultural season in September. Similarly, the Zambia
National Farmers’ Union President Ajay Vashee has
told AFP that his union is favorable towards Zimbabweans
who want to invest in Zambia’s economy.
Daily Mail & Guardian (Harare 04-20) In
this article, Andrew Meldrum provides an account of
anxious Zimbabweans, who are flocking in large numbers to
the British High Commission in Harare to apply for or
renew their passports following the land occupation
crisis in the country. Meldrum estimates that more than
20,000 Zimbabweans, a majority of them being white, are
entitled to hold British passports. So far, about 14,000
persons have registered with the High Commission and
increasing numbers are registering everyday. According to
Peter Longworth, the British High Commissioner to Harare,
most people are not planning to leave immediately, though
recent events have made them reconsider their options.
News 24 (Bloemfontein 04-20) reports
that, under Operation Crackdown, 95 persons have been
detained by the police in the eastern Free State. These
include 16 undocumented migrants, while other detainees
have been charges with various crime-related offences.
Dispatch, Sapa (Cape Town 04-20, 04-19)
According to Mike Waters, home affairs spokesperson for
DP, a large number of Zimbabweans have been applying for
visas and refugee status at the South African High
Commission in Harare. Waters reveals that the numbers
have been so large that the queue outside the High
Commission ‘reaches about 700 to 800 people’ by
9 am. He observes that as per the Refugee Act in South
Africa, Zimbabweans do qualify for refugee status, and
has indicated that he has asked for a meeting with Home
Affairs Minister Buthelezi to discuss the possibility of
granting Zimbabweans asylum status in the country. He has
also suggested that the SA government should send
additional staff to Harare to speed up the application
process for Zimbabweans who wish to enter South Africa.
Sapa (Pretoria 04-19) At a press
conference after a police awards ceremony in Pretoria
West, national police commissioner Selebi has revealed
that the police have uncovered a ‘Nigerian crime
syndicate’ during recent raids in the Hillbrow
suburb of Johannesburg. According to Selebi, 35 persons
have also been detained for creating their “own
Department of Home Affairs in Hillbrow”. 653 South
African passports and 129 SA identity documents have been
confiscated from these detainees. Selebi has also
criticized human rights activists for accusing the police
of infringing on the rights of ‘illegal
immigrants’.
Sapa (Pietersburg 04-19) During a recent
visit to Pietersburg, Deputy Home Affairs Minister Sisulu
has confirmed that the government is establishing refugee
camps in the Northern Province to house the likely influx
of Zimbabweans escaping the land occupation crisis in
their country. Many white farmers, it has been reported,
are considering leaving Zimbabwe after the occupation of
several white-owned farms by squatters. A representative
of the disaster management committee from Messina, the
town closest to the Zimbabwe border has revealed that
they are taking steps to ‘handle any influx’. A
holding centre is going to be set up shortly to process
the refugees and afterwards the asylum-seekers will be
sent to longer-term housing in Pietersburg.
Africa News Online (04-19) Addressing
the members of a study on forced migration in East
Africa, a teacher at the University of Dar Es Salaam has
suggested that refugees in Tanzanian camps should have
access to family planning services. Dr. Rutinwa has
revealed that more than 300 babies are born in various
camps in Tanzania, and argues that these high birth rates
are ‘economically and environmentally
unjustifiable’. He has also suggested that family
planning services for refugees should be incorporated
into refugee policies. Tanzania has given refuge to more
than 1, 000, 000 asylum-seekers, and despite its
generosity towards refugees, it does not have a clear-cut
policy on refugees. The members attending the meeting
have suggested that East African countries should give
due consideration to the economic, social, and political
factors contributing to refugee influx, and that
countries like Tanzania should adopt formal legislation
on the rights of refugees.
WOZA (04-19) A disaster management
committee in the border town of Messina is making
arrangements for the possible large-scale immigration of
Zimbabwean refugees as the land occupation crisis
intensifies in Zimbabwe. According to committee members,
the town can accommodate a maximum of 1000 persons, but
provisions are being made to house more persons outside
Messina. The committee has also indicated that they are
going to provide refuge to all categories of Zimbabweans,
not just the farmers. Earlier reports have indicated that
as many as 30, 000 can be expected to cross the border
into South Africa.
Sapa (Pretoria 04-19) Addressing a press
conference after a police award ceremony, national police
commissioner Selebi criticized the SA Human Rights
Commission for accusing the police of “unfairly
targeting illegal immigrants” during Operation
Crackdown in recent weeks. He stated that the police
focused on ‘illegal immigrants’ because many
were involved with criminal syndicates. “These high
priests (activists) who don’t know much about it
(human rights) are trying to preach Catholicism to the
Pope”, he added. He also suggested that activists
were ignoring the rights of victims by supporting
undocumented migrants. Finally, he revealed that public
support for the police had increased tremendously in
recent months.
Sapa (Pretoria 04-19) The regional
director of the UNHCR Nicholas Bwakira has revealed that
a “better harmonization of legislation and
policies” and more “coordination at all levels
– political, administrative and technical” is
needed to address the increasing numbers of refugees in
southern Africa. There are nearly 3.3 million refugees
and 15 million internally displaced persons in Africa,
with nearly 3.7 displaced persons in Angola. South Africa
has received 14,500 refugees, mainly from DRC, Angola,
Burundi, Rwanda, Ethiopia and Somalia. In addition, the
country receives more than 100 applications for refugee
status every month from all over the world. He has
revealed that 17605 applications for refugee status have
not yet been processed by the Dept. of Home Affairs.
Bwakira has suggested that despite an improvement in the
department’s ability to handle applications, Home
Affairs continue to lack the experience to deal with
refugees. UNHCR has offered to provide technical
assistance to the department. Bwakira has acknowledged
the presence of individuals who abuse the system of
granting asylum, but also indicates that asylum-seekers
are often treated unfairly as criminals. Finally, he
observes that xenophobia has not been adequately checked
in the region.
Sapa-AFP (Harare 04-17) A spokesperson
for the British High Commission in Harare has revealed a
‘sharp increase’ in inquiries for obtaining
British passports by Zimbabweans of British origin after
a farmer and two opposition supporters were killed in
recent days. Nearly 20,000 white residents of Zimbabwe
have British nationality, although many of them are not
registered at the British High Commission in Harare, and
do not own a British passport.
The Observer/Mail & Guardian (Harare 04-17)
Andrew Meldrum writes that because of the ‘land grab
campaign’ by squatters, Zimbabweans of ‘all
races and nationality’ are planning to find new
places to live. This was evident at a recently held
seminar on emigration to Australia, where out of the 500
participants, only 40 percent were white, while 30
percent were black and another 30 percent of Asian
origin. Emigration experts have begun to hold similar
seminars for migrating to countries like Canada, Britain,
the United States and South Africa. In 1996 and 1997,
around 2000 persons educated and qualified professionals
emigrated from the country, and the numbers increased
sharply to 6135 persons. The article also writes about
the large-scale migration by poor black Zimbabweans to
South Africa, who risk hazards like crocodiles in the
Limpopo River to obtain employment.
Botswana Daily News Online, Botswana Press Agency
[BOPA] (04-17) Three Zimbabwean nationals,
arrested recently at the Ramokgwebana Border Post by the
police, have been sentenced by a Francistown magistrate
to one-year prison term each for possession of stolen
property. Two other Zimbabweans, who were also detained
for possessing expensive electronic items, are also going
to appear before the courts after the police
investigations are completed.
Sapa (Johannesburg 04-15) A delegation
of the South African Council of Churches (SACC) that
recently visited refugee camps in Viana and Moxico
outside Luanda, Angola has indicated that it will hold
talks with the SA mining industry to explore their
alleged involvement in millions of undetonated landmines
in Angola. The landmines pose a grave threat to the
already suffering displaced people in Angola. Some 4000
persons are living in refugee camps visited by the SACC,
and nearly half of these refugees are children, living in
wretched conditions. Many refugees are also landmine
victims, and are existing without water or medical
supplies.
Sapa-AP (Havana 04-15) During his
address at the Group of 77 Summit, the foreign minister
of Congo has asked other leaders to force Rwanda, Uganda
and Burundi to withdraw their forces from DRC. The
Congolese government maintains that the rebel groups
involved in the Congolese war are fighting on behalf of
the three countries. More than one million people have
been displaced by the war in DRC.
Misanet/PanAfrican News Service, WOZA (Cape Town
04-14) The continued emigration of skilled
professionals from South Africa, resulting in an acute
shortage of qualified workers, has been identified as the
single biggest deterrent to the country’s economic
growth in the next few years. A report by Corporate
Services has argued that the rates of emigration are much
higher than those provided by the government, revealing
that the shortage of technical and managerial staff
stands between 350,000 and 500,000. Similarly, the report
suggests that the shortage is especially acute in the
finance and information technology sectors. In response,
the Democratic Party has asked the government to replace
“brain drain” with “brain gain” by
encouraging immigration by investors and entrepreneurs.
“South Africa needs to go out into the world and
actively recruit applicants from other
countries",” DP spokesperson Mike Waters has
stated. The Party has also suggested that, like Australia
and New Zealand, SA should develop “designer
immigration programs” by selling an annual quota of
work and residence permits to investors who are willing
to invest in SA above a prescribed threshold.
Weekly Mail & Guardian (04-14) Paul
Kirk writes that the National Intelligence Agency (NIA)
is investigating allegations that the Home Affairs
Minister Buthelezi and the Inkatha Freedom Party has been
receiving large amounts of cash from illegal casinos in
Kwazulu-Natal. Kirk also writes that Mario
Oriani-Ambrosini, Buthelezi’s ministerial advisor,
and an American citizen by birth has had his work permit
renewed three times without having to leave the country
unlike the practice for other residents.
Africa News Online (04-14) In his latest
report to the Security Council, Secretary-General Kofi
Annan has revealed that the humanitarian situation in
Angola has worsened as a result of renewed fighting,
landmines, and attacks on civilians and relief workers
near the border areas of Namibia and Zambia. Some 3.7
million persons have been affected by the war, including
1.6 million internally displaced persons, the UN reports
states. Annan has suggested that women in particular have
been affected the most, especially since they have been
compelled to return to their fields in search of food and
firewood.
Sapa (Pretoria 04-13) The
Mineworkers’ Union (MWU) has asked the government to
adopt a plan of action to encourage the return of skilled
South Africans who have emigrated to other countries. The
MWU is planning to launch its own campaign to prevent
emigration shortly called ‘SA Expertise for
SA’. The Union has indicated that the government
lost about R8 billion in taxes as a result of emigration
in 1997 alone, while economists have told the union that
the emigration of one skilled SA leads indirectly to the
loss of nearly eight related jobs.
Mail & Guardian, IRIN (Johannesburg 04-13,
04-12) writes about a recent public opinion
survey conducted by SAMP, which has found that nearly 25
percent of South Africans want a complete ban on
immigration, while 45 percent of citizens want the
numbers to be controlled strictly. The survey has
indicated that these attitudes are fairly pervasive
despite variations in income, age and education.
“This is the highest level of opposition to
immigration recorded by any country”, says SAMP.
SAMP has revealed that the government’s attitude
towards clandestine migration has also played an
important role in shaping public attitudes. It is
believed that since 1990, the SA government has deported
more than one million people, and a majority of these
have been returned to SADC countries, especially to
Mozambique. Only 4 percent of people interviewed for the
survey are opposed to the deportation of migrants.
PanAfrican News Agency (Blantyre, Malawi 04-12)
After South Africa stepped up its efforts to apprehend
‘illegal immigrants’, in which about 100
Malawians are being sent back weekly, Malawi has
undertaken a similar exercise by deporting 5 Indians, 6
Pakistanis and 2 Mozambicans. The secretary-general of
Malawi Congress of Trade Unions has endorsed the
deportations and has indicated that ‘most of the
jobs done by foreigners can be ably handled by
locals’.
Sapa (Parliament 04-11) The Home Affairs
Minister Buthelezi, in the SA Parliament, revealed that
the department deported 183,861 ‘illegal
immigrants’ last year and spent about R35 million on
the deportations. Similarly, the minister stated that
5029 South Africans emigrated to other countries,
including 134 engineers, 199 doctors, and 193 teachers.
Botswana Daily News (04-11) According to
the Botswana Chief Immigration Officer, the government
spends P200 000 every year to apprehend and deport
‘illegal immigrants’. This sum includes funds
spent on feeding the migrants as well as allowance for
drivers sent with the 9000 to 10,000 Zimbabwean migrants,
returned home annually. The officer indicates that the
migrants are usually sent back along with their
belongings.
MISAnet/Pacific News Service/WOZA (04-11) Rene
Ciria-Cruz argues that the decision of the US Justice
Department to reunite Elian Gonzalez with his father has
little to do with “immigrants’ efforts to gain
equal access to the American dream”. The writer
suggests that the actions of the Cuban exiles in Florida
reveal their “stubborn refusal to assimilate into
America’s democratic culture”. The author also
criticizes the U.S. government for offering permanent
residency and even citizenship to Elian and his father
for political gains, while continuing to keep other
Haitian and Central American refugee families apart for
decades.
Sapa-DPA (04-11) Following the detention
of three tourists from Hong Kong by the police in
Johannesburg for using fake passports and falsifying
their stay permits, the SA Consul-General in Hong Kong
has rejected a news report that suggests that the
tourists were “wrongfully arrested”. The South
China Morning Post had reported that the SA government
had made this admission, adding that the police had used
derogatory terms to address the migrants and had
assaulted them. According to the SA Consul General, the
case is still being investigated by the deputy national
commissioner police, the South African board of police
and the South African anti-corruption unit. The Travel
Industry Council of Hong Kong has also released a similar
statement.
Sapa (Johannesburg 04-11) Opposition
parties in Zimbabwe have expressed concern that thousands
of Zimbabwe citizens residing in other countries as
‘economic refugees’ cannot vote in the upcoming
elections resulting in the ‘disenfranchisement of
thousands, if not millions’. Morgan Tsvangirai, the
leader for the Movement of Democratic Change has revealed
that the opposition parties are trying to come up with a
plan that will allow these emigrants to vote in the next
elections.
Sapa (Parliament 04-11) Responding to a
question in parliament, Home Affairs Minister Buthelezi
has revealed that the department has taken new measures
to expedite the applications of work permits for
‘essential’ skilled staff for businesses from
other countries. The applications will now be processed
within six weeks and the chief administration clerk will
have the authority to make decisions on behalf on the
department.
Sapa-AP (Lisbon 04-11) Retaliating
against the return of 42 Portuguese citizens at the
Luanda airport, whose visas were declared invalid by
Angolan immigration, the Portuguese Aliens’ Service
has denied entry to 12 Angolans for presenting fake
passports at the Lisbon airport. The Angolan government
has revealed that it has increased border controls in
recent days to curb the numbers of foreigners living in
Angola without ‘official permission’.
Sapa (Gaborone 04-11) reports that the
Botswana government is going to test all students for the
HIV virus before they are sent overseas for studies. The
tests will be conducted voluntarily and the government
has indicated that there will be no discrimination in the
workplace in terms of employment, training, and
promotion. The government has adopted this action after
it incurred huge costs for repatriating government
sponsored students recently infected with AIDS.
Sapa (Johannesburg 04-10) After being
elected as the president of the United Nations 10th
Congress on Crime and Justice, Justice Minister Maduna
has stated that due to technological advances, crime has
transcended national boundaries. As a result, he has
stated, crime prevention is going to require coordinated
strategies and cooperation between different countries.
Sapa-AFP (Luanda Angola 04-10) The
Angolan government has announced that it will allow Cuban
doctors and teachers to work in Angola to counter the
shortage of professionals in the education and health
sectors. There are a number of Cubans already working in
other sectors, like construction and the hotel industry.
Cuban soldiers, doctors and teachers were first given
jobs in Angola in large numbers in mid 70s when the two
countries were close political allies.
Botswana Daily News, BOPA (04-10)
reports that in the past four months or so, more than a
thousand persons from Namibia and Angola have sought
asylum in Botswana. The result is that the total
population at the Dukwi refugee camp has increased to
nearly 3000 refugees. At present, there are 1932
Namibians and 497 Angolans living at this camp. According
to officials, refugee status will be granted to the new
arrivals only after interviews have been conducted to
ascertain their status.
MISAnet/PanAfrican News Agency, WOZA (Blantyre,
Malawi 04-10) writes that some 48 deportees out
of the thousands of Malawians to be repatriated shortly
from South Africa have arrived at the Chileka airport in
Blantyre. It is believed that more planeloads of
deportees will arrive in the next few weeks. The article
reports that after the police has increased its
operations to apprehend ‘illegal immigrants’,
more than a 100 Malawians are deported every week from
South Africa. South Africans contend that migrants
‘steal jobs from locals’. The new arrivals from
South Africa have also indicated that they have been
forced to leave all their belongings and possessions in
South Africa.
City Press (04-09) At a recently held
press conference in Bisho, the newly appointed police
provincial commissioner Wilson Toba has stated that
organized crime is one of the biggest challenges to SAPS,
since the police force has to deal with “trained
people” linked to international gangs. “We have
to deal with syndicates who can smuggle drugs into the
country and pass immigration officials unnoticed” he
has said.
Sapa (Johannesburg 04-08) A meeting of
health ministers from South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique,
Swaziland and Zimbabwe of the SADC community has agreed
on a coordinated approach to tackle malaria. The
ministers have agreed to set up various regional
malaria-control groups that will examine and regulate the
effects of cross-border population movements on the
spread of the disease.
Sapa, Sunday Times (Johannesburg 04-08, 04-09)
In his address to the South African chapter on the
African Renaissance in Johannesburg, Deputy Foreign
Affairs Minister Aziz Pahad has stated that African
Renaissance is being adversely affected by the
persistence of conflicts in the region, and the presence
of 9 million refugees, existing under terrible
conditions.
Weekly Mail & Guardian (04-07) Khadija
Magardie writes that only 503 Mozambican deportees
remained on the ‘repatriation train’ last week
when it reached the Ressano Garcia Border post. This is
because many of the other deportees, thanks to alleged
police “incompetence and negligence” jumped off
even before the train left the outskirts of Johannesburg.
Magardie writes that although the police have been able
to apprehend large numbers of ‘illegal
immigrants’, including the 8000 odd migrants
detained after recent police operations in Gauteng, they
have been ‘less successful’ in sending them
back to their countries of origin. The author argues that
deportees often bribe the police to “jump off”
the trains, while others escape because of the poor
security arrangements in the train. It is also observed
that as a result of recent criticisms by the SA Human
Rights Commission and Lawyers for Human Rights, the
trains used to deport migrants have been changed.
Sapa (Port Elizabeth 04-07) writes than
more than 1500 persons have been arrested in the Eastern
Cape region under an anti-crime Operation Crackdown. The
police have identified 21 ‘high crime’ areas
where the operation will concentrate in the next few
weeks.
Weekly Mail & Guardian (04-07) Kwere
Kwere (Journeys into Strangeness), an exhibition curated
by Johannesburg academic Rory Bester brings together film
clips, slides, archival footage, radio recordings and
projections in Cape Town to examine the increasing
xenophobia in South Africa and cross-border migrations
into the country. Images and recordings include, for
example, footage of racial stereotyping and harsh
treatment of migrants at Lindela deportation centre,
Somalian, Rwandan and Ethiopian refugees, and returning
Mozambican migrants.
PanAfrican News Agency (Rundu, Namibia 04-07)
reports that after 8 Namibians citizens were found to be
among those apprehended by the Namibian police as
‘illegal immigrants’ in the Kavango region,
immigration officials have asked the police to exercise
caution while screening migrants. The detained Namibians
presented their identity papers to UNHCR officials. 5
Angolan citizens apprehended along with the Namibians are
being sent to the Osire refugee camp. The UNHCR
representative in Rundu has asked all asylum-seekers in
the region to report to the police so that they can be
repatriated as soon as possible to refugee camps in
Osire.
The Namibian (04-07) reports that many
village residents near the Trans-Caprivi Highway are
fleeing to Botswana as a result of attacks by
‘bandits’ and armed UNITA forces.
Business Day (Johannesburg 04-07) says
that three working groups have been formed to work on the
specifications for the proposed multi-application citizen
card and its tender. The specifications will be used in a
“request for information” before the SA citizen
cards are issued. Last year, the R800 million Home
Affairs National Identification System (HANIS) was
awarded to the Marpless Consortium, including Japanese
companies Marubeni and NEC. The initial contract was
meant to produce a ‘high-powered finger print system
and a citizen card based on a two-dimensional bar code
technology’, but now the government has decided to
provide ‘chip-based smart cards’ to its
citizens. The ‘smart card’ was not specified in
the original HANIS tender, and based on the information
provided by the three working groups, a steering
committee (officers from departments of health, welfare,
communications, SAPS, and NIA with Home Affairs) will
compile the information for the tender and new cards.
Independent Online (04-07) writes that
thousands of Hutu peasants are reluctant to be
repatriated to their homes after leaving them unwillingly
in the first place sometime last year to move into
overcrowded refugee camps. The Burundian government set
up these ‘regroupment camps’ largely for its
own protection against Hutu rebels, despite receiving a
lot of criticism internationally. “We don’t
have a decent life here,” says one resident of the
camp, “but we don’t want to be scapegoats
again”. The government wants to repatriate them, he
adds, because “they want to kill us again”.
Although the services were very poor at these camps
initially resulting in high mortality rates due to
diseases, more than 40,000 persons live at present in
these camps.
Office of the Presidency (South Africa 04-07)
In an address to the South African chapter of African
Renaissance, Deputy President Jacob Zuma has stated that
both rich and poor nations of the world must work
together to “build a better life for all”. The
increasing disparities between and within regions will
otherwise result in “uncontrolled migration and
massive instability” in terms of trade and
investment.
Gauteng Provincial Government (04-07) In
his welcoming speech at the opening of the African
Renaissance Conference, Gauteng Premier Shilowa has said
that African Renaissance is likely to succeed only if
pervasive stereotypes “manufactured to conquer the
minds, souls and self worth of African people” are
eradicated. He has added that African Renaissance in
South Africa should encompass the efforts and continued
participation of “white skilled workers, some of
whom are leaving our shores for Europe”.
Dispatch (Johannesburg 04-06) Economists
have warned that the continuing political crisis in
Zimbabwe is likely to have an adverse effect on South
African business and economy. This is likely especially
since Zimbabwe is the largest trading partner of South
Africa in the region. Economist Majakathata Mokeona has
stated that “if the situation worsens”, then
“refugees will flock into our country”. Kevin
Wakeford, the chief executive for the South African
Chamber of Commerce has suggested that it may lead to a
“possibility of spill-over effect like the situation
in southern Angola, where fighting has spilled over to
Namibia”.
PanAfrican News Agency (Luanda, Angola 04-06)
A delegation of Norwegian official visiting Angola have
renewed their commitment to provide 25 million US dollars
to Angola as humanitarian aid in the next few years.
Dispatch (King Williams Town 04-06) writes
that a hawker from Yeoville, Johannesburg, has been
charged with ‘card fraud’ for using a
friend’s temporary identity document to open an
account at Woolworth’s.
The Namibian (Capetown 04-06) After
trade ministers from 14 SADC member countries agreed a
free trade agreement in the region from 1 September, the
department of Trade and Industry in South Africa has
revealed that it has been involved in discussions with
COSATU on the agreement. In particular, the negotiations
have centred on the retrenchments and job losses likely
as a result of the free trade agreement.
The Namibian (04-06) During the debate
on a second reading of the International Cooperation in
Crime Matters Bill in the Namibian National Council,
Swapo Chief Whip Henock ya Kasita has stated that the
bill should include stringent punishment for Namibians
who provide shelter to, and support criminals, especially
international criminals. He has suggested, for instance,
that Namibians supporting the UNITA leader Savimbi
publicly should be arrested. Ya Kasita has recommended
further that Namibians leasing their premises to
foreigners should be investigated. “I don’t
have anything personal against these foreigners,
especially Angolans”, he has stated, “but most
of them are only here for illegal dealings”. He has
asked Angolans citizens in Namibia to return to their
country to help their government “to fight criminals
like Savimbi” instead of “wasting their time in
Namibia selling apples and cassettes in the
streets”.
WOZA/Reuters (Nairobi 04-06) In its
efforts to address the famine in north-eastern Africa,
the United Nations has appealed to rich nations to
contribute additional funds and resources to help the 16
million people affected by the famine. A World Food
Program spokesperson based in Ethiopia has revealed that
the situation remains critical, especially in the eastern
parts. It has also been revealed that people are
migrating in large numbers to the northern parts of the
country in search of food.
WOZA/Reuters (Johannesburg 04-06) reports
three miners, including one migrant labourer from Lesotho
were killed due to a rockfall in the African Rainbow
Minerals gold mine in Welcom, south of Johannesburg.
The Financial Gazette (04-06) staff
reporter writes that the 14 nation SADC are trying to
remove barriers to trade in the region and establishing a
free trade protocol while taking into account issues of
“revenue loss, security, and employment” among
others. Zimbabwe has offered to liberalize 83 percent of
its trade with other SADC countries after the free trade
pact comes into effect in July.
The Natal Witness (04-06) Columnist
Nalini Naidu writes about four Congolese refugee children
who have been provided a new home in the Pietmaritzburg
Salvation Army Children’s Home. Naidu adds that the
local community has raised funds for the children to help
them.
The Namibian (Windhoek 04-05) states
that UNITA rebels have attacked several villages in the
Cunene province in Angola. As a result of these attacks,
many Angolans from Omupanda and Evale have fled into
Namibia.
The Botswana Gazette (London 04-05) Mike
Farmiloe, the Executive Director of De Beers, the
world’s largest diamond producing company, has
stated that the international campaign organized by the
London based Global Witness against ‘conflict’
diamonds from Angola is likely to adversely affect the
economies of Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. Global
Witness has asked for an international consumer boycott
of diamonds because of their role in civil wars in
countries like Angola, Sierra Leone and DRC. Farmiloe has
stated that less than three percent of all the diamonds
come from these areas. He has added that “if people
are moved by these false and damaging claims,”
instead of putting an end to the conflict in Angola,
“they will contribute to putting a Botswana miner
out of work.”
Mopheme/The Survivor (Maseru 04-05)
reports that the Lesotho government has entered into
another military agreement with other southern African
countries, including South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe.
According to the Lesotho Attorney General Fine Maema, the
accord is the result of the SADC’s commitment
towards “enhancing cooperation in matters relating
to security and defence”.
The Post of Zambia (Lusaka 04-05) writes
that a South African citizen has appeared before the
magistrate’s court in Lusaka on charges of allegedly
possessing pornographic materials.
PanAfrican News Agency (Rundu, Namibia 04-05) reports
that during the month of March, the Namibian police
arrested more than 100 ‘illegal immigrants’ in
‘clean-up operations’ in the Kavango region.
The migrants are to be taken from Rundu to Oshakati
shortly where they will appear before an immigration
tribunal. The tribunal will decide whether the migrants,
many of them Angolan citizens, are to be deported back to
their country.
Sapa (Johannesburg 04-04) The UNHCR has
stated that the treatment of refugees as
“criminals” in the recently organized Operation
Crackdown in South Africa violates the basic principles
of international law. Criticizing the South African
police for ignoring the documents produced by
asylum-seekers, the UNHCR strongly suggested that since
South Africa provides a role model to other southern
African countries, civil servants in South Africa should
uphold human rights in their “interactions with
non-nationals”. Reacting to these criticisms, a
Gauteng police spokesperson has revealed that the
department is planning to establish a program on
sensitivity training on human rights issues for its
officers, but has added that “a number of illegal
immigrants arrested [in recent days] were in possession
of false documentation”.
Sapa-DPA (Amsterdam 04-04) In order to
ease the acute shortage of nurses in The Netherlands,
Dutch hospitals will begin to recruit nurses from South
Africa. Given the advantage of similarities of language,
Dutch health authorities have asked the Randstad
employment agency to look for 50 SA nursing trainees, who
will be provided a temporary employment contract. The
agency is likely to look to for students fresh out of
nursing school, though the Dutch authorities will not
permit the nurses to stay permanently in The Netherlands.
Dispatch (04-04) Senior journalist
Michael Hartnack writes that the current crisis in
Zimbabwe may result in the large-scale evacuation of its
nationals by Britain. He also observes that for South
Africa, this crisis may lead to a “possible influx
of millions of refugees from across the Limpopo”
even though these two situations appear as “worst
case scenarios”.
Sapa (Nelspruit 04-04) A Public Service
Commission (PSC) investigation team aiming to “weed
out tricksters” who have lied about their
educational qualifications is examining the personnel
files of a hundred high-ranking officials, above the rank
of a director in the Mpumalanga administration. The
investigative team is likely to look into the files of
nearly 450 assistant and deputy directors in Mpumalanga
later on as well. The PSC is also looking into similar
cases of fraud in the Department of Correctional
Services. Similarly, the SABC is investigating its news
head, Enoch Sithole, who is believed to be a Mozambican
citizen, and is also accused to obtaining a fake degree
from Eduardo Mondlane University in Maputo. The
province’s director-general Nyathi has indicated
that the National Intelligence Agency is also looking
into the backgrounds of the 56,000 civil servants in the
province to make sure that “they are not involved in
criminal activity, have the necessary government
clearance, and that they deserve to be in the
government”.
Sowetan (04-03) Editor Aggrey
Klaaste/Mike Siluma argue that the recent deportation
campaigns conducted by the South African government are a
“wanton waste of scarce government resources.”
They add that the deportation program is in
“shambles” because of the “cavalier
attitude” adopted by government officials and police
in charge of deporting migrants, and the fact that many
‘illegal immigrants’ jump off trains and escape
while being repatriated. The editorial suggests that more
resources and police are needed to escort the migrants,
and a high-level inquiry is needed to find out why little
has been done so far to increase security on the trains.
Africa Eye News Service (South Africa 04-03)
South Africa has been asked by the Swaziland government
to keep the chief border posts between the two countries
open all the time and all year round. Swaziland’s
immigration officer indicated that discussions were going
on to keep the Oshoek border post open for longer hours
beyond the present 10 hours a day most of the year.
The Post of Zambia (Lusaka 04-03)
Following renewed attacks by the military on the Angolan
side, the Zambian government has sent additional troops
to the border near Angola. The troops have been sent for
the protection of people living near the Angolan-Zambian
border. The Zambian President Chiluba has stated that his
country’s policy is to maintain friendly relations
with neighboring countries but “if we are attacked,
we’ll attack back”.
PanAfrican News Agency (Blantyre, Malawi 04-03)
The Department of Disaster Preparedness, Relief and
Rehabilitation in Malawi has announced that more than
70,000 persons have been rendered homeless by floods
after heavy rains in the country for the past three
weeks. The floods have caused many houses, made largely
of mud and grass to crumble, while thousands of hectares
of mature maize fields have been flooded by swollen
rivers that have burst their banks. The worst affected
areas include Nsanje and Chikwawa where thousands of
displaced persons have sought shelter in schools and
churches. The department’s commissioner Chikuni has
announced that they have been assessing the situation
though the totals costs involved in resettling and
providing basic services to the displaced Malawian have
not yet been calculated.
PanAfrican News Agency (Blantyre, Malawi 04-03)
Following the arrest of two refugees at South
Africa’s Johannesburg International Airport and
Harare International Airport, the Malawian government is
investigating into a organized ring involved in supplying
refugees and asylum seekers with forged Malawian
passports. It is believed that immigration officials and
police officers in Malawi may also be involved in issuing
of these passports. At present, Malawi receives around
100 refugees and asylum seekers every week. Around 1800
refugees, many of them from Burundi, DRC, Uganda and
Rwanda, are officially registered at the camp in the
district of Dowa. But authorities fear that there may be
“hundreds of unregistered refugees who have fused
among Malawians especially in the suburbs of
Lilongwe”. Authorities also indicate that many
migrants come to Malawi as “economic refugees,”
including those from Nigeria, Ghana and Cameroon.
Queen’s Gazette (Kingston 04-03)
The Southern African Migration Project (SAMP) will
receive an additional $3 million government contribution
towards phase two, the main objectives of which will be
to promote good governance through improved management of
migration in southern Africa. Canada’s Minister for
International Cooperation Maria Minna made this
announcement, after a glowing report from CIDA on
SAMP’s successes in contributing to informed
analyses on migration issues in the region. Designed
largely by Queen’s University and IDASA, SAMP has
conducted studies on xenophobia in the South African
media, public opinion towards immigrants, migrants, and
asylum-seekers in the last few years. At present, SAMP is
collaborating with the SA Human Rights Commission in
promoting a national Roll Back Xenophobia campaign. In
the new few years, SAMP will help to develop the
immigration research capacity for the Department of Home
Affairs, and will establish a number of service training
programs in international migration policy and law for
government officials. In addition, SAMP will continue to
research the impact of new migration policies and
legislation adopted in recent years in South Africa.
