Cabinet has approved a proposal to end the special dispensation for Zimbabwean nationals introduced in April 2009, government spokesperson Themba Maseko said on Thursday.

This followed a bilateral agreement between the South African and Zimbabwean MNinisters of Home Affairs, he told a media briefing following Cabinet's Wednesday meeting.

The special dispensation would end on December 31, and all Zimbabweans who have not had their presence in South Africa formalised by then, will be deported, Maseko said.

"Those who are here illegally without any documents will be given a period between now and the end of December to sort out their documentation with the Zimbabwean authorities and with Home Affairs, and after this date anybody who does not have any form of permit to be in the country will be deported."

Maseko said that the special dispensation was put in place during "a time when there was a political crisis in Zimbabwe" to allow free movement

"But we believe that some form of stability has returned to Zimbabwe and therefore all Zimbabweans will now be treated like any other foreign nationals."

Maseko said that Cabinet's decision to withdraw the accord was part of efforts to ensure that all foreign nationals residing in South Africa were documented and their presence regularised.

Zimbabwean nationals working, conducting business or studying in South Africa would be issued with a working permit, business permit or a study permit, provided that they had valid Zimbabwean documents.

"I would imagine that this would also apply to those doing informal work in the country," he added.

As part of the agreement to suspend free movement, Harare had undertaken to issue documents to all its undocumented nationals, he said. Where this was not possible, the Zimbabweans would be allowed to return home and fetch the necessary papers.

There would be "an amnesty" for Zimbabweans who might have obtained South African identity documents fraudulently, on condition that such documents were returned to the Home Affairs Department with immediate effect.

However, this would not mean that they would automatically qualify for regularisation, Maseko said. They would then have to apply for permits that enabled them to legally reside in South Africa.

He added: "We are saying, return these (illegal) documents... Start making sure that you get your Zimbabwean documents and then when you've got your Zimbabwean documents, then we clarify what is your status in this country and we will then issue you with the relevant permit.

"So if you are in the country illegally and you have a job, you get a work permit. If you don't, you get deported."

Zimbabwean students in the country illegally would have to apply for study permits. Failure to do so would also result in deportation.

Pretoria and Harare would establish a joint monitoring and evaluation committee to oversee implementation of this policy decision.

Issuing of various permits would commence between now and December 31, and the deportation of undocumented Zimbabweans would resume after this date.

A similar process would be initiated for nationals from other neighbouring countries in future, Maseko said "so that we can begin to have everybody properly documented and can have their fingerprints so that if somebody commits a crime, we can know who that person was".

He said that the process would also give the government a better idea of how many foreigners there are in South Africa.