THE South African All Truck Drivers Forum (ATDF) has called for abolition of the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit (ZEP) in a bid to bar all foreign truck drivers from working in the neighbouring country.
The ATDF is now demanding that the ZEP grace period for
renewal of permits, which expires on December 31, 2022 be abolished.
Zimbabwe Community in South Africa chairman, Nqabutho
Mabhena yesterday said the ATDF must be guided by the South African
government’s decision to offer a grace period to ZEP holders.
“The truckers have the right to raise the issues affecting
them, but we remain guided by the position taken by the SA government on
November 24, 2021 that ZEP holders will have a grace period of 12 months to
stay in that country,” Mabhena said.
“The SA Labour minister Thulas Nxesi was clear that the
rights of migrants must be protected and we expect the State to protect
migrants who are in South Africa.”
Mabhena said foreign drivers were still allowed to work in
neighbouring South Africa.
“If the South Africa government bans migrants from working
in the trucking industry that would be a different issue, but currently those
with permits are allowed to work in the trucking industry,” he said.
Groups of truck drivers marched through the streets of
Pietermaritzburg and Johannesburg on Monday to hand over a memorandum of
demands to the offices of the National Bargaining Council for the Road Freight
and Logistics Industry.
The ATDF said its demands for the ZEP grace period to be
abolished were in line with its stance on foreign truck drivers. It has been protesting through road shutdowns
and highway blockades, calling for foreign truck drivers to be barred from the
road freight industry, arguing that truck driving should be reserved for South
Africans because it’s not a scarce skill.
ATDF general-secretary Sifiso Nyathi said the call to
abolish the ZEP permits would be directed to Nxesi and the Home Affairs
minister Aaron Motsoaledi.
“This is not a matter for the bargaining council but one
that needs the urgent attention of [ministers] Nxesi and Motsoaledi,” Nyathi
said.
In November 2021, the South African Cabinet decided not to
renew the Zimbabwean Exemption Permits. About 182 000 Zimbabweans hold the
permits and they were given 12 months to apply so that they can migrate to
other visa regimes suitable to their individual circumstances.
The decision to cancel the permits sparked outrage among
their holders and rights groups who unsuccessfully took the government to court
over the matter.
Recently, Zimbabwean students in South Africa suffered a
major blow after Pretoria withdrew a waiver allowing them to apply for
permanent residence permits. Newsday
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