Tag: permits

Bribes get illegal immigrants into SA

A Zimbabwean who says he bribed police officers at the Beit bridge border post to let him into the country, says corruption is hampering the South African government’s efforts to prevent foreigners from entering the country illegally.

The Minister of Home Affairs has recently announced the December 31 cut-off date for Zimbabweans to apply for a special three year permit.

Police holding cells in Musina are full of illegal Zimbabweans while others allegedly manage to go through the border gates by bribing border officials.

Musina police spokesperson Dakalo Ramagwede says they are waiting for the immigration officers to process deportation papers for the arrested nationals to be sent back home.

“We are arresting but the problem is that now our cells are full, but they do not allow us to stop arresting. The problem is the immigration process, it takes too long so they have to wait. The cells are full and the people are complaining. We are doing our best to take them home.”

The Zimbabwean, who admits he was one of them and wishes to remain anonymous says, “Every time you pass the border you have to pay something, if you don’t have money you don’t pass.”

Line fishermen left jobless without permits

linefishAn emergency meeting is scheduled on Friday to address the problem faced by hundreds of angry South African Line Fishermen who were left jobless after the Fisheries Department failed to renew their fishing permits.

The association says its members are facing major job losses because of the failure by government to allocate sufficient rights to them, the SABC reported.

“This caught us totally by surprise. Emotions are running high. My aim is to try to keep the emotions objective. I am asking the guys to act responsibly. We will fight for them and find a way forward,” says Association Chair, Wally Croome.

The fishermen are expected to decide whether to approach the Western Cape High Court for an urgent interdict against the Agriculture Department’s decision to deny them fishing rights.

The Commercial Linefish Association has accused government of excluding the majority of commercial line fishermen in the awarding of traditional Line Fish Rights.

The last rights allocations were made in 2005. Of the nearly 3500 applications received last year, only around 600 were successful.

Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries started issuing the rights just a few days ago after old permit rights expired on New Year’s Eve. It says 115 of the 303 active permits have been retained from the previous holders.

A further 100 new entrants have been added to the list. Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries started issuing the rights just a few days ago.

Fisherman, Rudi Pullen, says: “Look I am blind, so I do not know where I am going to get work in the future. I have to pay for my home and I only know how to fish.”

Chairperson of PE Handline Fishing Forum, Alwyn Kotze, says: “We would like the department to review the whole landline application forms and to explain to us what has happened because they have taken away hundreds of permits from existing right holders and they have given 100 new entrants permits.”

He says that they have invested and that they have gotten permission from the department to build new boats. “I have invested half a million rand in a new boat.”