Zimbabwe: Govt, SA Sign Labour Migration Agreement, 28 August 2009

By Thupeyo Muleya in Beitbridge

Harare — Zimbabwe and South Africa yesterday signed a four-year agreement to promote safe labour migration between the two Sadc countries.

The agreement will start with Limpopo Province farm workers. Illegal immigrants are often exploited because of lack of proper documentation, but the scheme is expected to spread across South Africa. In the pilot scheme, South African farmers seeking Zimbabwean workers will give their requirements to a labour centre in Beitbridge, where a database of jobs will be maintained.

The signing ceremony, held at the International Organisation for Migration reception centre in Beitbridge yesterday, came after the two countries' labour ministries held several meetings sating back to January 2006.

Labour and Social Welfare Minister Paurina Mpariwa and South African Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana represented their countries.

The agreement covers labour dispute resolution and social dialogue, labour law reform, social security, employment services, Beitbridge migration centre, joint technical taskforce on occupational health and safety and asbestos, facilitation of the interface between ex-Zimbabwean migrant workers in gold mines of the Republic of South Africa and previous employers or the ex-employing agencies.

Zimbabweans have been the mainstay of the commercial farming labour force in Limpopo Province for decades. Some farmer-worker relationships have been good, with farmers even driving trucks to the river to collect their workforces as they swim across and the same workers returning to the same farmers every year. But other relationships have been sour.

Speaking after the signing ceremony, Minister Mpariwa said the facility came into effect after the joint ministerial mission to Limpopo Province realised that scores of illegal Zimbabwean farm workers were employed there and decided to regularise and regulate the long-standing practice.

"This seeks to facilitate the safe and temporary migration of Zimbabweans to work in the Limpopo province (agricultural sector) of South Africa."

Minister Mpariwa said the pilot phase would be confined to the commercial farms in the Limpopo province.

South African farmers wishing to employ Zimbabweans, she said, would provide their requirements to the Beitbridge Labour Centre, where a database of the requirements will be maintained. There have been reports that some Zimbabweans without proper documents were being underpaid in South African farms and were finding it difficult to seek representation and recover their money.

According to the South Africa labour regulations, an average farm worker should earn wages of R1 600 a month. Minister Mdladlana expressed concern over the ill-treatment of Zimbabwean illegal immigrants by some farmers.

He also emphasised the need for both governments to prioritise the issuance of authentic identification and employment documentation.

Minister Mdladlana said they were working on modalities that would see them getting full labour and social benefits.

The minister said the two Sadc neighbours subscribed to the free movement of labour in the region.

"It is really sad to note that South African farmers are actually exploiting Zimbabweans by underpaying them, taking advantage of their illegal entry into South Africa.

"We are saying that in itself also causes tensions between our citizens employed on the farms," he said.

He warned unscrupulous farmers in that country that his ministry would deal with them decisively, adding that the xenophobic attitude by his fellow citizens must come to an end.

In May this year South Africa waived visa requirements and stringent labour regulations for Zimbabweans wishing to travel or work in that country.

Prior to this Zimbabweans were required to seek a visa of R2 000 for them to travel to that country and at times their police would raid farm workers and deport them for breaching their immigration laws.

Other stakeholders to the MoU are Home Affairs, Foreign Affairs, IOM, ILO and the Limpopo Province Farmers' Union.

source; The Herald (www.herald.co.zw)

Zuma launches clampdown on illegal immigrants Monday, 04 January 2010 11:54

From Thupeyo Muleya in BEITBRIDGE
Hundreds of Zimbabweans and nationals from other southern African countries are stranded at Beitbridge Border Post after the South African Home Affairs Department embarked on a blitz to flush out illegal immigrants and travellers using fraudulently-acquired passports from that country.

The blitz has left a number of people stateless following the confiscation of their passports by South African officials and this means Zimbabwe has to vet these people first before allowing them into the country.

The clampdown started last Monday morning as some travellers trooped back to South Africa after spending the Christmas holiday in Zimbabwe and other countries to the north.

A number of travellers were by yesterday afternoon still being forced to surrender their passports after failing to explain to immigration officials how they acquired the documents.

This has become a common practice by the South African immigration authorities who find it difficult to clamp down on holders of such documents during the course of their daily lives.

However, several travellers complained that they were genuine South Africans and urged their government to intervene.

It is understood that a special team from the Home Affairs Department in Pretoria has been dispatched to Beitbridge to specifically screen travellers.

Those caught with fake documents are automatically denied entry into South Africa or are taken to court to face fraud charges.

Zimbabwe’s assistant regional immigration officer in charge of the southern region (Beitbridge), Mr Charles Gwede, confirmed the developments yesterday.

He said instead of withdrawing the travel documents, the South African officials should investigate their origin as some of them might be valid.

One of the victims, Mr David Maluleke, who hails from Giyaniin, Limpopo Province, in South Africa, said he had since engaged a lawyer to fight his case. Mr Maluleke said he had travelled to Bulawayo for the Christmas holiday only to be told he was no longer a South African citizen and that his passport was not valid.

In light of the blitz at Beitbridge Border Post, some travellers are now going via Botswana.

A South African immigration official at the border post said the blitz would continue until mid-January when all migrant workers were expected to be back in that country.

“You will understand that there are a number of people with travel documents fraudulently acquired from our department, hence we need to get rid of that here at the border.

“We are withdrawing all the documents we suspect were fraudulently acquired after rigorously vetting the holders. In some cases, some of the culprits will be charged with fraud and may face blacklisting and imprisonment,” said the official who declined to be named.

source.allacfrica.com

Beitbridge Duty-free shop in sorry state

By Thupeyo Muleya in Beitbridge

LOOKING at it from outside, the duty-free shop at the Beitbridge Border Post appears like any other busy border shop.

The presence of touts and criminals, who are always roaming near the shop’s entrance jostling for “customers” to “help” cross the border into South Africa, gives the impression of a thriving shop.
Yet all these activities have nothing to do with the goings-on inside the building.
A visit to the duty-free shop always leaves many people wondering what has happened to this shop that was once the talk of town in the area.
“Sorry, we are still waiting for new stocks. You can get some soft drinks because that is all we have.” This is the statement that welcomes almost everyone who visits the shop.
The statement sums up the state of neglect of the duty-free shop which has since lost the glamour it was associated with when it was officially opened in 1995.
The once vibrant duty-free shop now resembles a disused warehouse following many years of neglect, with the shelves virtually empty.
The only items available in the shop are soft drinks and bus tyres. Trays belonging to the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority and the Automobile Association of Zimbabwe are gathering dust.
Actually, the shop has become more associated with the touts and criminals who conduct their illegal business right at its doors.
The touts and criminals also use the back of the building to smuggle “customers” into South Africa.
The shop has lost its value as a multi-billion-dollar investment as business has virtually ground to a halt.
While the shop is in a sorry state, just across the border on the South African side, a similar shop is always brisk with business. The local duty-free shop attracted a lot of interest soon after it was opened, with people coming from all parts of the country, and even from South Africa, to get indigenous products from Zimbabwe. But now one can hardly get mineral water and simple documents like the prospectus on Zimbabwe’s tourist resort areas and other tourists’ promotional facilities.
Many people expected things to change for the better as there is so much hype surrounding the country’s preparations for next year’s World Cup soccer extravaganza in South Africa. But nothing seems to be happening and no one appears to care about the duty-free shop anymore.
Unconfirmed reports indicate that the shop is being leased to an Asian man called Mr Lee.
But it still boggles the mind why those leasing the shop are failing to lure businesspeople and tourism consultants to showcase their wares at the shop.
Duty-free shops are a common phenomenon and a standard requirement at international level at all ports of entry.
Normally, such shops are located on the exit point of every border post where travellers can get products without paying any customs duty to the country they would be departing from. Products that used to be popular at the Beitbridge duty-free shop included curios, perfumes, toiletries, mazoe orange crush, safari clothing, bracelets, hand bags, beer and outdoor equipment for tourists.
There are growing calls now for the shop to be hired out to a private company or a vibrant investor.
Beitbridge is a gateway to two transfrontier conservation areas — the Great Limpopo and The Greater Mapungubwe — which Zimbabwe shares with Botswana, South Africa and Mozambique.
An average of 15 000 people pass through the Beitbridge Border Post on a daily basis, making it the busiest port of entry in Sub-Saharan Africa. This means that the shop could be useful, especially with the great influx of tourists anticipated when the World Cup is held in June and July next year.
Occasionally, school children from South Africa and tourists from that country come in with high hopes of buying souvenirs but they always go empty handed.
“I was looking forward to buying a Zimbabwean-made handbag and a sun hat, but I am disappointed with what I have seen here,” said Tshilidzi Ramawa, a student from Livumbu Secondary School in South Africa’s Limpopo Province.
“I only got a soft drink. Imagine coming to such a shop and failing to get mineral water.” An immigration officer at the border post said they were not sure why the shop was not operating, but said it was important for it to open as soon as possible.
“The status quo here is very unpleasant, no wonder why we have a number of illegal vendors right at the clearing area,” he said.
“Travellers and people who work around here have nowhere to buy food and they end up relying on the illegal vendors.”
The illegal vendors said they were happy that the shop was not operating fully and wished it never opened.
One of the illegal vendors who identified herself as Tafadzwa Maphosa said their business was brisk because of the high demand for food by some travellers who often spend long hours in queues at the border. “Our business is thriving, though we have to fight running battles with the police who chase us away everyday,” said Maphosa. The police arrest nearly 70 illegal vendors each week in the border area and charge them under the Protected Areas Act.
But they usually pay fines and are released only to continue with vending the following day.
Three tuck shops which used to operate in the border area were closed in July 2007 to decongest the place. A truck driver from Malawi, Mr Fanuel Chukwu Mwale, who uses the border more often, said they were now afraid of contracting diseases such as cholera since they were relying on food from the illegal vendors. “We sometimes have to wait to buy our food when we reach the South African side,” he said.
“But you know what happens with hunger. Most of the times we end up buying from the illegal vendors because we will be too hungry to wait until we cross the border.”
Chairman of the Beitbridge Business Association, Mr Salatiel Roy Muleya, said the closure of the shop gave a bad impression about Zimbabwe.
He said there were consultations with the Government to have the duty-free shop re-opened.
“We are engaging the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority and looking at creating a welcoming environment at the border post for the year 2010 and beyond,” said Mr Muleya.
“You will realise that the illegal vendors have taken advantage of the unavailability of a formal business and this explains why the war against this group of people is difficult to win.
“As the business community, we are also advocating for the creation of an information centre within the border or at the duty free shop, which would handle issues including immigration, customs, vehicle clearance and health.”
Mr Muleya said touts and conmen were on the sprawl at the border area because there was no information on procedures for the travellers.
But it remains to be seen if this multi-billion-dollar investment, which was opened amid pomp and fanfair a decade ago, will ever live to expectations.

Source: The Sunday Mail

Published here: 10 October 2009