Issued by: Ministry of Home Affairs
MEDIA RELEASE BY THE MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS, MANGOSUTHU BUTHELEZI: 21 JUNE 1996
Following on my announcement in the National Assembly on 4 June 1996 and in accord with the Cabinet Resolution in this regard, the Department of Home Affairs invites citizens of Southern African Development Community (SADC) member States who are presently residing in the RSA and who qualify in terms of the conditions stated hereunder to apply for exemption in terms of which permanent residence in the RSA may legally be acquired.
Applications for exemptions will be considered in respect of SADC citizens who:-
i) can demonstrate or provide evidence of continuous residence in the RSA as from 1 July 1991; ii) are engaged in productive economic activity in the country (either formal sector employment or informal sector activity); and iii) have dependent children born or residing lawfully in South Africa; and vi) have not committed a criminal offence listed in Schedules I and/or II of the Aliens Control Act, 1991 (Act 96 of 1991) as amended.
Applications can be made at any office of the Department of Home Affairs between 1 July 1996 and 30 September 1996.
For the purposes of this exemption the spouse(s) of the principal applicant as well as dependent children under the age of 18 years will be included.
This exemption excludes contract workers such as miners as these persons only have temporary residence status in the RSA by virtue of their contracts.
Full details can be obtained from Home Affairs offices throughout the country as from 1 July 1996.
Fulldetails can be obtained from Home Affairs offices throughout the country as from 1 July 1996.
Member States of the Southern African Development Community are Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
ISSUED BY THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS ENQUIRIES: HENNIE MEYER 012-3148613