SIMON MUNTEMBA writes
@SunZambian
The South African government has deported 25 Zambians found with no immigration permits to allow them to stay or work in that country, Zambia’s High Commissioner to South Africa Emmanuel Mwamba has confirmed.
Mr Mwamba said that among those deported were those who had finished serving their jail terms for criminal offences.
This is according to a statement issued by First Secretary for Press at the Zambian High Commission in South Africa Naomi Nyawali.
Mr Mwamba said the mission issued 14 gratis travel documents to some Zambians that needed help from the High Commission.
He said that according information made available to the Commission in Pretoria, the deported Zambians were found with offences of overstaying in that country.
“Others were found without immigration permits that allow them to stay or work in South Africa while others had finished saving their jail terms for criminal offences.
“14 people have since been repatriated to Zambia by the South African government whilst 11 were given a grace period for self-repatriation,” Mr Mwamba said.
He explained that the 25 were deported back to Zambia following a round-up operation which was conducted by that country’s Ministry of Home Affairs and were detained at Lindela Holding facilities in Krugersdorp West, Gauteng province.
Mwamba said the Mission issued 14 gratis travel documents to some Zambians that needed help from the High Commission.
Mr. Mwamba said the Mission is closely monitoring the welfare of its citizens to ensure that they do not come into conflict with that country’s laws.
He has since called on Zambians travelling to South Africa to follow the right procedure when travelling to avoid inconveniences.
Meanwhile, Mr Mwamba has disclosed that the Mission issued about 983 travel documents in 2018 to Zambian nationals that lost their passports or had overstayed.
