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ACDP MP, Cheryllyn Dudley, today said the decision by Home Affairs Department to allow Zimbabweans free entry into South Africa could be problematic on the long term:

"The decision by the South African government to allow Zimbabweans to enter our borders with no visa could create additional problems. The ACDP welcomes any situation which gives the people of Zimbabwe back their dignity and hopes this will also encourage a greater freedom of movement of Zimbabweans returning home knowing their re-entry to South Africa would no longer be the ordeal it was formerly. However, we are concerned that this action may exacerbate existing problems if not properly monitored and facilitated. The ACDP calls on Home Affairs Department to ensure that all stakeholders; the public, affected Zimbabweans, Immigration and SAPS etc will be speedily and adequately appraised of the new directive.

The ACDP is of the opinion that a decision like this should have been open for public discussion in order to ensure that people do not feel that it has been imposed upon them. If ordinary South Africans do not embrace such a decision the consequences could be disastrous.

Huge numbers of South Africans are presently facing unemployment and are struggling to feed their own families, and others are anxious as more and more jobs are being lost due to the global economic crisis.

If the necessary political solutions are not found this action may undermine the rebuilding of Zimbabwe.
The ACDP calls on the new South African government to be more vocal in moving Zimbabwe toward a speedy implementation of the power sharing deal. The South African government is once again skirting the real issue and the ACDP calls on the SADC community to pressure ZANU-PF to comply and co-operate fully in implementing the agreement on inclusive government.

The ACDP expects South Africa to be more persuasive in this regard".