250 Zim refugees arrive each day

2008-11-25 10:04

Carina van Wyk and Marietie Louw-Carstens

Musina - About 250 refugees arrive each day (5 000 per month) at the Musina show grounds to apply for asylum seeker's permits.

About 95% of the refugees are Zimbabwean, said refugee reception official Edward Seitisho during the visit of Limpopo health MEC Seaparo Sekoati last week.

Applications are usually taken care of within a few minutes, but the queues are long and some people live at the show grounds for weeks. Although a few temporary toilets exist, there was a field across the road, clearly used for human defecation. Old and young people lay on boxes and built shelters from black bags and old blankets. Musina residents are upset as Zimbabweans are staying all over the town.

"The streets in the town have become toilets. There is no more parking and the Zimbabweans surround you when you go to the shops. You don't feel safe anymore," said resident Yolandi van der Merwe on Monday.

According to her, most residents now do their shopping in Louis Trichardt, 100km from Musina. "We don't believe the municipality that the town water is clean and boil all our water before using it."

Water concerns

Municipal spokesperson Wilson Dzebu said on Monday the town's water had been tested last week and was safe to use.

Home Affairs spokesperson Siobhan McCarthy said the law on refugees specified that government could not refuse an Article 22 permit to an asylum seeker.

This permit, which may be renewed, was valid for three months or until refugee status was granted. If refugee status was not granted, the person had to leave the country within ten days or face deportation. According to McCarthy, most Zimbabweans did not receive refugee status as they wanted to work in South Africa for economic reasons. Those who were tortured in their country for their political views would receive refugee status.

Takalani Mkondeleli, 25, who looks after 5km of the border fence, says the fence could not stop illegal immigrants. "Every day, people come through, they are coming through as we stand and talk now. Some take out a gun and say: 'I will blow off your head' if I try to stop them."

- Beeld