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)
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