SA, Zim start border 'helpline'

2006-01-09 16:12

Johannesburg - South Africa and Zimbabwe opened an office on Monday to help curb illegal immigration and the abuse of labour laws.

The office, at Beit Bridge border post, was the first of its kind in Africa and will help Zimbabweans seeking employment in South Africa with legal papers, said the labour department.

It also would be the major recipient of about 2 000 Zimbabwean deportees repatriated on a weekly basis from South Africa.

"Deportees and other people in need of legal documents will be served food and other basic amenities while their papers are sorted out," said the department.

"The office includes among others, an HIV/Aids counselling centre and will be the centre point for World Food Programme support."

The office was opened by South African Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana and his Zimbabwean counterpart Nicholas Goche.

The ministers agreed the office would help minimise illegal immigration and the abuse of Zimbabweans by unscrupulous employers seeking to make a profit through the South African labour laws.

They said the move would also decrease levels of crime in the border area.

"My government will do everything to make the good intentions of the office work," said Goche.

Mdladlana said the initiative would be "a good forum to fight xenophobia".

- SAPA