VZCZCXRO5563
RR RUEHDU RUEHJO
DE RUEHSA #0994/01 1351436
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 151436Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8495
INFO RUEHUJA/AMEMBASSY ABUJA 1383
RUEHOR/AMEMBASSY GABORONE 5485
RUEHSB/AMEMBASSY HARARE 3844
RUEHTO/AMEMBASSY MAPUTO 6077
RUEHTN/AMCONSUL CAPE TOWN 6847
RUEHDU/AMCONSUL DURBAN 0960
RUEHJO/AMCONSUL JOHANNESBURG 9197

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PRETORIA 000994 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PREF KTIP SF
SUBJECT: SA-ZIMBABWE BORDER: COPING WITH CONTINUED HEAVY 
IMMIGRATION 
 
REF: A. 08 PRETORIA 1680 
     ¶B. 08 PRETORIA 2677 
     ¶C. PRETORIA 770 
     ¶D. PRETORIA 771 
 
------- 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1.  A May 7-8 visit to the South African and Zimbabwean 
border towns of Musina and Beitbridge found the border zone 
was beginning to normalize despite continued heavy flows of 
Zimbabwean migrants into South Africa.  The SAG's halt in 
deportations has reduced migrants' vulnerability to police 
harassment and criminal exploitation, but NGOs still struggle 
to provide protection, particularly to unaccompanied minors 
and women for whom shelters are full beyond capacity. 
Although the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) is making 
stepwise adjustments to alleviate documentation bottlenecks, 
most notably via a planned identity card for Zimbabweans, the 
SAG urgently needs a broader socioeconomic strategy to absorb 
the influx of destitute foreign jobseekers without triggering 
renewed xenophobic backlash.  End Summary. 
 
--------------------------- 
2008-9: Ongoing Border Saga 
--------------------------- 
 
¶2.  The last year has been a chaotic one on the SA-Zimbabwe 
border, in tandem with events inside Zimbabwe.  The first 
half of 2008 saw growing numbers flee Zimbabwe's political 
uncertainty and economic deterioration, making their way to 
DHA centers in Pretoria and Johannesburg to apply for asylum 
as a means to remain and work in South Africa.  To address 
these crowds at the source, SAG established an asylum 
processing center in Musina in July (ref A).  That model 
operation was quickly overwhelmed, as word got out of its 
efficiency.  By year-end, DHA had moved to temporary trailers 
at Musina's showground, where thousands queued for permits in 
dismal camp-like conditions (ref B).  The SAG abruptly 
cleared the site in March 2009, introducing faster processing 
options to avoid backlogs and disperse migrants onward 
throughout the country.  While the border remains busy (with 
busloads of migrants into Musina, and truckloads of goods out 
to Beitbridge), Musina once again feels more like a 
waystation, i.e. less congested than previously. 
 
------------------------------------------ 
End to Deportations Has Reduced Threats... 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶3.  The International Organization for Migration (IOM) 
stressed that inflows were unabated, posing protection 
problems.  Musina program manager Mohamed Hassan estimated 
there were about 400 new arrivals in DHA queues on an average 
day, although on occasion numbers had surged over 2,000.  The 
good news is that SAG's new policy to halt deportations 
(declared in April, and implemented by May) has eliminated 
the threat of police arrest and detention, in turn reducing 
vulnerability to criminal elements preying on migrants. 
Beitbridge manager Nick van der Vyver noted, however, that 
some degree of police harassment and even sexual abuse would 
likely persist, as "It's become a habit."  The notorious 
"SMG" detention facility is officially closed for 
deportations, although police use it for overnight lock-up of 
undocumented foreigners to be delivered to DHA the next 
morning. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
...but Musina Lacks Protection Capacity 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  While rights violations may have been reduced, however, 
humanitarian resources in Musina remain overstretched, with 
shortages of food, shelter, and medical care.  IOM and 
Qshortages of food, shelter, and medical care.  IOM and 
Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF) both say many Zimbabweans are 
remaining on the outskirts of Musina in growing informal 
settlements, either because they lack funds to travel further 
into the country, or they hope to find farm work or day jobs 
locally, or they want to remain closer to home.  Whether in 
Musina or in Johannesburg, van der Vyver worries that 
migrants are clustering together seeking work in the same few 
places, due to a lack of information on alternative job 
opportunities that could help distribute the migrant burden. 
 
 
PRETORIA 00000994  002 OF 003 
 
 
¶5.  MSF continues to provide free medical care and hospital 
referrals from tents beside the showgrounds, but NGOs and 
local church groups are struggling to provide some measure of 
shelter and food to migrants.  The "I Believe in Jesus" 
church site is a vacant lot in which about 450 adult men 
sleep on the ground with only a tarp overhead.  A one-room 
shed serves as a kitchen to prepare an evening meal.  About 
50-80 abused women and their children are housed elsewhere in 
more proper buildings, sustained by IOM and local churches. 
Another dorm-style building is dedicated to unaccompanied 
minors who receive community donations and are enrolled in 
local schools. 
 
¶6.  In its own offices Save the Children UK (SC-UK) is 
housing about 20-30 unaccompanied minors, down from a peak of 
189 kids after the showground closure.  Program director 
Lynette Mudekunye readily admits the situation is "far below 
any minimum standards," but since it beats leaving the kids 
on the street she has the full support and cooperation of the 
Department of Social Development (DSD).  The latter is 
attempting to create temporary licenses to enable more such 
housing, even if makeshift.  SC-UK is working to distribute 
kids to shelters elsewhere in South Africa and to integrate 
some into the local community.  For more vulnerable younger 
children and girls, the preferred option is to hand them off 
to any relatives in South Africa -- even at the risk that 
such expedient measures might lack usual safeguards against 
child trafficking. 
 
----------------------------------------- 
Documentation: Steps toward Full Mobility 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  DHA is taking steps to speed admittance of Zimbabwean 
migrants into South Africa and to facilitate the mid-term 
legalization of their stay.  In early April, the outgoing 
Home Affairs Minister announced a "special dispensation" 
identity card to be issued to Zimbabweans (ref C) enabling 
them to remain in the country (and also travel back and forth 
to Zimbabwe), work, and avail themselves of education and 
health care.  The dispensation will be renewable indefinitely 
at a national policy level rather than by individual 
cardholders, easing the clogged asylum system, which is 
anyway a poor fit for Zimbabwean migrants seeking work.  That 
permit is expected to take some weeks to be rolled out by the 
new Zuma administration, with no implementation dates yet 
announced and many operational details still to be ironed out 
(ref D). 
 
¶8.  While awaiting rollout of the dispensation, in early May 
DHA border officials began issuing automatic visas to any 
Zimbabweans with passports or travel documents.  These are 
the same green stickers commonly issued in the past to 
tourist or business visitors, now extended to all Zimbabweans 
without need for any travel justification, and with the note 
"visit / work" hand written by DHA officers.  Since most 
Zimbabwean migrants lack travel documents, which are now 
scarce in Zimbabwe and prohibitively expensive for most 
migrants, DHA is working to create a special identity 
document to facilitate crossing from Zimbabwe to South 
Africa, but again any cost will be a hurdle to take-up.  IOM 
predicts that migrants will continue making the dangerous 
Limpopo River crossing, or simply bribe border officials to 
enter. 
 
¶9.  For Zimbabweans already in South Africa, or crossing 
Q9.  For Zimbabweans already in South Africa, or crossing 
informally without documentation, DHA continues to process 
asylum applications at the Musina showgrounds, as a bridge 
measure until the dispensation cards are implemented. 
 
-------------------------- 
Integrated Strategy Needed 
-------------------------- 
 
¶10.  COMMENT: The planned "dispensation" permit is an 
important constructive step in assisting Zimbabweans, but 
documentation is only the first of migrants' myriad needs. 
With conditions inside Zimbabwe remaining difficult, 
increased mobility and immunity from deportation may draw 
even larger numbers to South Africa.  As Home Affairs becomes 
more efficient at regularizing their stay, the departments of 
Education, Health, and Labor must plan and budget for 
increased service provision.  Provincial and local 
governments should help coordinate alternative accomodation 
for the burgeoning homeless populations such as are camped at 
 
PRETORIA 00000994  003 OF 003 
 
 
the Central Methodist Church in Johannesburg.  Having enabled 
Zimbabweans to remain, the SAG must explain its policy 
rationale and benefits to South African citizens, and address 
challenges of economic support and social integration, lest 
the Zimbabwean influx fuel a xenophobic backlash as seen this 
season last year.  End Comment. 
LA LIME