The South African government has deported 25 Zambians for various immigration offences.
In a statement issued today by first secretary Press and Public Relations at the Zambian High Commission in South Africa, Naomi Nyawali, the 25 were deported after a round-up operation conducted by that country’s Ministry of Home Affairs and were detained at Lindela Holding facilities in Krugersdorp West, Gauteng Province.
According to information made available to the Zambia High Commission in Pretoria, the deported Zambians were found with offences of overstaying in that country, not having immigration permits for stay or work in South Africa while others had finished serving their jail terms for criminal offences.
Fourteen (14) of the 25 have since been repatriated to Zambia by the South African government whilst 11 were given a grace period for self-repatriation.
“South African authorities observed that Zambia was among the countries with the lowest number of her nationals that had offended immigrations laws as compared to other countries,” Nyawalli stated.
And Zambia’s High Commissioner to South Africa Emmanuel Mwamba said the Mission issued 14 gratis travel documents to some Zambians that needed help from the High Commission.
He added that the Mission issued about nine hundred and eighty three (983) travel documents in 2018 to Zambians who had lost their passports or overstayed.
High Commissioner Mwamba noted that the Mission was closely monitoring the welfare of Zambian citizens in South Africa to ensure that they do not come into conflict with that country’s laws.
He has advised Zambians travelling to South Africa to follow the right procedure to avoid inconveniences.
