TimesLive reports that thousands of Zimbabweans are having to queue for hours in a desperate race against time to retain their legal status in South Africa.  

An estimated 200,000 working Zimbabweans in SA use legal Special Dispensation Permits that expire on the last day of the year.  However, former Minister of Home Affairs, Hlengiwe Mkhize, gave a last-minute reprieve, allowing them to apply for a new work permit, namely the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit, by 30 November.  Zimbabweans seeking exemption permits have to apply at 10 Visa Facilitation Services (VFS) centres and have fingerprints taken.  But the sheer number of people still to be seen by the end of November has many deeply concerned.  There is only one VFS centre in Gauteng, in Midrand, which sees on average more than 1,800 people a day and VFS staff leave as late as midnight.  Tens of thousands of appointments must be completed by month-end.  But Jiten Vyas, chief operating officer for Africa at VFS Global, said:  "We are fully prepared and confident that we will complete the quantum of applications within the time lines as prescribed by the Department of Home Affairs."

• Read this report in full at TimesLive

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