PRESENTATION ON THE DOCUMENTATION OF ZIMBABWEANS PROJECT (DZP)

1. PRESENTATION ON THE DOCUMENTATION OF ZIMBABWEANS PROJECT (DZP)

2. Content Background and Context Phasing-Out the DZP Way forward on DZP

3. Purpose of the Presentation Toprovide a high level overview on the Documentation of Zimbabweans Project (DZP)

4. The Permitting Function has undergone several changes in the past years with the pendulum swinging between decentralization vs. centralization of certain aspects of the function. Key initiatives in the Permitting environment: 2007 – Turnaround Project which included the Vision & Design of the new Permit Service Delivery Model. 2009/10: Who Am I Online automation. May 2010 – Ministerial Instruction on the Centralised Adjudication of Permits 2010 December: Permit Stabilization Project, which included the Documentation of Zimbabweans Project and the conclusion of the Backlog by April 2011. Amendment to Legislation and the finalization of Regulations and their implications for Permits. Ministers Performance Agreement to recruit 50 000 skilled workers annually Background and Context

5. BACKGROUND OF THE DZ PROJECT • A Special Dispensation for Zimbabwean Nationals was introduced in April 2009 to respond to the high inflow of Zimbabweans into South Africa. • A bilateral meeting of Ministers was held on 17 June 2010 and the meeting agreed amongst others on the following: • The moratorium on deportations and special dispensation should come to an end following the positive socio-political development in Zimbabwe; • That both countries should work jointly to regularize Zimbabwe nationals. • A joint Project to document Zimbabwe Nationals; • Zimbabwe will issue passports to all its nationals; • South Africa will issue permits to qualifying Zimbabwe Nationals in terms of the Immigration Act on relaxed requirements • After the Special Dispensation which ended in May 2010, the Documentation of Zimbabweans Project commenced on 20 September 2010 and seeks to achieve the following: • Regularize undocumented Zimbabweans currently residing in RSA; • Relieve pressure from the Asylum Seeker Management system. • When the Project commenced, the Department did not have accurate and reliable data on the number of undocumented Zimbabweans in South Africa which posed a serious challenge for the Country and for the Migrants as well.

6. BACKGROUND OF THE DZ PROJECT • Within the Documentation of Zimbabweans Project, three categories of permits are considered by the Department namely: • Business Permits • Study Permits • Work Permits • Relaxed requirements and shortened process were implemented in December 2010 to document Zimbabweans with a target date of 31 December 2010, for receiving applications. • These relaxed requirements allowed for applications to be submitted without all the relevant supporting documents and without the taking of fingerprints. • During December 2010, applications were also received from the Zimbabwean Consulate, identified NGO’s and the farmers to ensure achievement of the set target date. • The milestone of 31 December 2010 was closed with a total number of 275 762 received applications. • After 31 December 2010 all applications were dispatched to Head Office regardless of unavailability of supporting documents.

7. MATTERS TO BE TAKEN FORWARD The following critical matters are being taken forward: • Re-instatement of the teleconference. This should improve compliance issues from Frontline Offices • Continuation of the DHA Short Messaging System (SMS) to give notice to Zimbabwean applicants to submit outstanding supporting documentation and fingerprints to permitting • Matching of SMS response to the applications and verification/validation of compliance in order to issue permits. • Zimbabweans stakeholder forum meeting is schedule for the 19 September 2011to mobilize applicants to respond to SMS and to submit outstanding documents and taking fingerprints. • The Amnesty applications and intention to surrender asylum will received focused attention. Applicants who applied for Amnesty are contacting the Department to ensure that the Amnesty confirmation forms are completed. • Over the next two weeks, clients whose pre-adjudicated forms have been matched with submitted supporting documents will be issued with Permits

8. PHASING-OUT THE DZ PROJECT • All incomplete applications dispatched to Head Office are sorted according to the following criteria. However, final verification of the numbers will be confirmed after final capturing on a Master Control List. • Applicants who applied using other Zimbabwean identification such as Identity Documents, Birth Certificates, Drivers Licenses or expired Zimbabwean Passports; • Applicants that applied with no supporting documents; • Complete applications with only fingerprints outstanding. • The details of applicants awaiting Zimbabwean Passports and applicants without documents have already been provided electronically to the Zimbabwean Consulate. • Discussion with Financial Institutions took place in respect of applicants who applied for amnesty. • Engagement also took place with the Department of Transport on the issue of verifications for Drivers Licenses. This Department should also be provided with access to the online verification database. • Development and testing of the DHA Short Messaging System (SMS) finalized and activated from the 4th April 2011.

9. PHASING-OUT THE DZ PROJECT : STATISTICS

10. PHASING-OUT THE DZ PROJECT: STATISTICS • A total of 116 960 incomplete applications were sorted aligned to the following sorting criteria:

11. CONCLUSION • This is a progress report on the Documentation of Zimbabwean Project to appraise members of the Portfolio Committee • There are still some phasing-out initiatives that are in progress • The final closing report will be presented to the Minister and afterwards a clear direction will be pronounced by the Minister

12. Thank you