Some enterprising residents of Musina and Beitbridge are now cashing in on the stringent South African visa requirements by charging desperate Zimbabweans in need of a local visa to enter the country legally some exorbitant fees, Mirror has established.

In Musina, residents are charging between R50 to R100 for invitation letters and photocopies of their IDs, while those in Beitbridge demand a payment of about R500 upfront, to lease out a R2 000 fee needed for travellers’ cheques.

As part of the South African visa conditions, Zimbabweans intending to travel to the country are supposed to produce an invitation letter from a person or organisation inviting them into South Africa. Applicants are also required to submit an affidavit and copies of identification documents of the persons inviting them to the South African Embassy in Harare.

However, a majority of the ordinary Zimbabweans cannot afford to raise R2 000 for travelers’ cheques, hence some resorting to borrowing the amount for a fee of R500.

When changed into the Zimbabwean dollars, R2 000 translates into about ZW$400 million, an amount that is beyond the reach of many ordinary citizens.

Ms Mary Sithole of Matswale in Musina told Mirror that she was now fending for her family through charging Zimbabweans in need of invitation letters and copies of her ID. "I am not employed and on the other hand I have to feed my family, so I am into the business of charging Zimbabweans R100 service fee to facilitate their getting a visa by writing an invitation letter, accompanied by photocopies of my ID," she said.

Another woman from Nancefied, who only preferred to be identified as Mpho said: "We are now eking out a living through charging desperate Zimbabweans in need of letters and copies of our IDs in order for them to get a visa. I also lease out R2 000 fees needed to secure travellers’ cheques and for that service I charge R500."

The R2 000 is then returned soon after the applicants have been granted a visa by the South Africa Embassy.

Mr Jacob Muleya of Beibridge, a former nurse in Beitbridge, said he was now into the business of leasing out R2 000 fees on a full-time basis. "I was a nurse before I quit, after realising that it was a lower-paying job, so I am now into the business of lending money amounting to R2 000 to those in need of visas and I am really making money, because I charge R600 per person; this business is quite lucrative," he said.

Meanwhile, officials from the committees on Defence, State Security and Public Security from South Africa and Zimbabwe met in Pretoria last week where proposals were made to review some of the stringent visa requirements.

The issues to be reviewed include the letter of invitation, visa fees and proof of ability by Zimbabwean travellers to sustain themselves when in South Africa.

However, according to media reports, the Zimbabwean delegation had proposed the abolition of visas, a move that was completely rejected by their South African counterparts.

The Zimbabwean Chief Immigration Officer, Mr Clemence Masango, said the stringent visa measures were unnecessary since Zimbabwe does not demand the same requirements for South African travellers. Zimbabwe scrapped visa requirements for South Africans in 2005.

"The South Africans said they have their own reasons why they cannot scrap visas now. We then asked for the removal of some of the conditions they have imposed and in the meeting we agreed in principle that some of the requirements be removed or reviewed," Masango said.

He said Zimbabweans travellers would, if the proposals are implemented, no longer have to prove the ability to sustain themselves in South Africa at the SA embassy in Harare, but at the port of entry," he said.

Masango said their SA counterparts would then present the proposals to the Minister of Home Affairs, Mrs Nosiviwe Maphisa-Nqgakula, before informing Zimbabwe on the extent of relaxation and date of implementation

He said during the meeting the issue of border jumpers was also raised in which both the South African and Zimbabwean governments expressed deep concern, adding that workable strategies and efforts were being made to address the problem.

On average, South Africa deports about 600 Zimbabwean illegal immigrants daily through Beitbridge border post. However, the number increases to as much as 1 500, especially on Thursdays, when the Lindela Detention Centre for deportees, situated outside Johannesburg, is cleared for new arrivals.

On being deported at the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) centre in Beitbridge, illegal immigrants are offered food, shelter and free transport to travel to their respective homes. However, a majority of the deportees shun the humanitarian assistance and opt to find their way back to South Africa quickly through undesignated entry points along the crocodile-infested Limpopo River.

Others resort to paying unregistered cross-border transport operators, commonly known as omalayitsha, who then ferry them to Gauteng illegally for fees ranging from R1 500 to R2 000 for a single trip.

The omalayitsha bribe police and immigration officials on both sides of the border.

Recently, one such unregistered transport operator ran out of luck after he was nabbed in Musina for trying to bribe a South African police officer on patrol for R600. This was after his car was intercepted while ferrying more than ten illegal immigrants to Gauteng.