There is as yet no clarity on a possible alternative site where the masses of destitute people arriving from Zimbabwe van be settled in Musina while waiting to be considered for asylum permits. There is also still no official provision for sheltered care to those who have received their asylum papers and have nowhere to go.

High-profile members of the South African government were involved in the operation to evacuate asylum seekers from their temporary shelters at the Musina show grounds.

The chairperson of the joint operations committee (JOC) in charge of the operation, Mr Muthotho Sigidi, was approached about sheltered care alternatives, after the evacuation of the show grounds. It was pointed out to Sigidi that although the show grounds did not meet the minimum standards for the necessary humanitarian assistance, it was the only place in Musina where asylum seekers were safe from arrest and deportation. The absence of decent, humane and safe shelter and organized care were amongst the major prob-lems which had to be solved at the show grounds.

In its official response, the JOC says: “We have been engaging with different stakeholders to normalize the situation. High-powered government delegations have been to Musina several times, and we are only waiting for a political intervention based on the engagement that is presently taking place at national level.”

About South Africa’s obligation to provide shelter and care for asylum seekers, the JOC statement says: “We are continuing to engage with various stakeholders to do that which is within our means.”

The statement says the show grounds were occupied by thousands of asylum seekers the past few weeks and that it was difficult to classify them because there was no proper control over their movements around the area. The department of home affairs (DHA) started the process of classifying and it was realized that there were lots who were staying at the show grounds even after they had been issued with their documents. This put ex-tra pressure on the show grounds as they were not designed to offer such services.

“Those who already had permits were ordered to leave and they were given assistance by NGOs to transport them to different destinations in the country.”

“Presently, the show grounds have been cleared and only foreign nationals who are applying for asylum are allowed in.”

The JOC states that various alternative shelters were discussed with stakeholders, based on the situation which was then prevailing at the show grounds, and there was agreement on the need to relocate people from the show grounds to other venues. “The matter was then passed on to the national task team, which met and decided on the action that was taken to fast-track the process of issuing permits to those seeking it and for them to be moved to where they wanted to go, which we did.”