Press Statement

COPAC Consultations with Zim Diaspora

Johannesburg, South Africa

Today, the 1^st of October 2010 saw the first ever Zimbabwean Diaspora Constitutional Consultation with the Constitutional Parliamentary Committee (COPAC) in a meeting organised by the Council of Zimbabwe Christian Leaders UK and the South Africa based Zimbabwe Exiles Forum. COPAC was represented by Co-Chairs  Hon Douglas Mwonzora (MDC-T),Hon  Paul Magwana (ZANU (PF) and the PA to Hon Edward Mkhosi (MDC-M), Mr Maxwell Zimuto whilst the Diaspora was represented by Constitutional Coalition (zimcc) , The Zimbabwe Development Chamber, as well as the Global Zimbabwe Forum among others.

Read more: COPAC Consultations with Zim Diaspora

ZEF Welcomes Home Affairs Consultations with Civil Society on Zimbabwe Documentation Project (ZDP)

17 September 2010

The Zimbabwe Exiles Forum (ZEF) and other civil society formations with an interest on Zimbabwean immigrants held a second consultative meeting with the Home Affairs Department today. The meeting was a follow up to the 6^th of September Home Affairs engagement forum with civil society to ensure that there is clarity on the Zimbabwe Documentation Project (ZDP). Today’s forum was addressed by the Deputy Director General of Immigration, Mr Jackie Mackay, who emphasized the need for trust and collaboration between government and civil society. Also in attendance to add more light on the ZDP was Mr Modiri Matthews, the Chief Director of Inspectorate and Ms Jane Razwiedani, the Director of International Relations and also Stakeholder Management in the Home Affairs Department.

Read more: ZEF Welcomes Home Affairs Consultations with Civil Society on Zimbabwe Documentation Project (ZDP)

Press Statement on International Day of Democracy

15 September 2010

Press Statement on International Day of Democracy

Give us the Vote: Exiles Tell the Inclusive Government and SADC

In marking the International Day of Democracy today, the Zimbabwe Exiles Forum (ZEF) made another call for the Diaspora vote to be respected. The organisation again noted that although about 4 million Zimbabweans have been externally displaced, the Inclusive Government in Zimbabwe and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) continue to pay scant regard to the right of those in exile to vote.

ZEF’s Executive Director Gabriel Shumba today commented that “Apart from the rule of law and respect for human rights, the right to vote goes to the core of any democracy. To deny a significant number of the populace such a fundamental entitlement would render any electoral result questionable in terms of its legitimacy.”

Read more: Press Statement on International Day of Democracy

Minister Explains end of Special Dispensation for Zim National

Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma

06 September 2010

Transcript of the briefing by Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, September 3 2010

*Minister Dlamini Zuma on end of special dispensation for Zimbabwean
citizens Gallagher Estate, Midrand, Johannesburg*

3 Sep 2010

Thank you and good afternoon ladies and gentlemen of the media. We thought we should just explain because we thought the matter may not have been properly understood. You will recall that in April 2009 the previous Minister of Home Affairs announced that there was a moratorium on the deportation of Zimbabweans and there would be a special dispensation where for one year they should get documents for Zimbabwean officials based in South Africa. Those who are employed should inform us at Home Affairs and others should receive the appropriate documentation. That dispensation was just to allow them to normalise their stay in South Africa. This is normal practice.

This year ended in April 2010. We then had a meeting with our Zimbabwean counterparts to say that year had ended and the dispensation must come to an end. In our discussions we were informed that a large number of Zimbabweans had been documented but they could not assure us that they had reached all their nationals.

Read more: Minister Explains end of Special Dispensation for Zim National