National

South Africa extends deadline for Zim exemption permits until June 30 as few have applied

Published

3 years ago

September 3, 2022

BY ERNEST MABUZA

South Africa’s Home Affairs minister Aaron Motsoaledi has extended the validity of Zimbabwean exemption permits until June 30 next year.

The permits, granted to Zimbabweans who moved to SA before 2009, were set to expire at the end of this year.

These permits were meant to regularise the Zimbabweans’ presence and allow them access to services such as banking.

On Friday evening, the department said it had appointed a departmental advisory committee to assess the visa applications lodged by affected Zimbabwean nationals.

Motsoaledi said he had received a report from the committee recommending he consider extending the deadline for affected Zimbabwean nationals to apply for visas or waivers by a further six months.

“The minister has carefully considered the request and decided to extend the period by a further six months, that is December 31 2022 to June 30 2023.

“Another factor considered by the minister is that few Zimbabwean nationals have thus far applied for visas and/or waivers,” the department said.

In papers before the Pretoria high court last month, the department said only 6,000 of the 178,000 permit holders had responded to Motsoaledi’s calls last year to state their case before the dispensation lapses.

The department was responding to an application by the Helen Suzman Foundation, which has taken the government to court over its decision not to extend the exemption permit.

The department on Friday called on affected Zimbabwean nationals to make use of this extension and not wait for the last moment to lodge their applications as no further extensions will be granted. – TimesLive

Related Topics:Zimbabwean exemption permits

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National

Coal train in flames: NRZ locomotive damaged in fire incident

Published

2 weeks ago

April 16, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY WANDILE TSHUMA

A National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) locomotive suffered significant damage after catching fire while transporting export coal to Zambi. The incident occurred between Kalala and Matetsi sidings, resulting in the explosion of the locomotive’s fuel tanks.

According to the NRZ press statement on Monday, “A National Railways of Zimbabwe locomotive suffered some damages after it caught fire this afternoon while transporting export coal to Zambia.” Fortunately, the crew members on board managed to escape unharmed.

The NRZ responded swiftly to the incident, dispatching a rescue train with crews to the site. The team successfully extinguished the fire, preventing further damage. However, the locomotive itself sustained considerable damage.

The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, with investigations currently underway. “Investigations are already underway to establish the cause of the fire and the amount of damage to the locomotive,” the NRZ statement read.

National

Ranger killed by elephant in Kariba

Published

2 months ago

March 14, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

A 62-year-old ranger, Josphat Mandishara, was tragically killed by an elephant in Kariba yesterday.

Mandishara, who worked for the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks), was on patrol in the Gatche-gatche area with fellow rangers and police officers.

At around 10 pm, Mandishara returned to the harbor where their boat was docked, and that’s when he encountered the elephant. The elephant charged at him, causing fatal injuries. His colleagues were nearby, resupplying at the Gatche-gatche Irrigation Scheme.

Mandishara’s body was taken to Kariba District Hospital for a post-mortem, and the incident was reported to the police.

ZimParks has sent a team to manage the problem elephant and prevent similar incidents in the future.

The Director General of ZimParks, Prof. Edson Gandiwa, and his team have sent condolences to Mandishara’s family, friends, and colleagues. Mandishara will be remembered for his dedication to wildlife conservation in Zimbabwe.

National

ZIMRA customs officer appears in court for criminal abuse of office

Published

3 months ago

February 3, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

A Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) customs officer, Phillip Kuvenga, has been accused of criminal abuse of office for allegedly assisting in the importation of banned motor vehicles.

Kuvenga, 28, who is stationed at Victoria Falls, allegedly received documents from clients, completed valuation sheets, and carried out the valuation process. However, he is accused of endorsing different chassis numbers to deceive his supervisors during the validation and approval process.

After obtaining approval, Kuvenga would capture the correct chassis numbers in the ASYCUDA World System. He would then alter or replace the documents submitted earlier to his supervisors.

The offense came to light when a motor vehicle that had not yet arrived in Zimbabwe was found to have been already registered. A thorough check by ZIMRA led to Kuvenga’s arrest.

Kuvenga appeared in court on February 1, where he was denied bail by Magistrate Gift Manyka. He is expected to appear in court again today for another bail hearing.