The Ministry of Home Affairs says only three Zimbabwean nationals have so far applied for refugee status in Zambia.
Acting Home Affairs Minister, George Mpombo said the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is currently handling the matter.
Mr. Mpombo who is also Defence Minister was speaking in an interview with ZNBC news.
He said the government is alert to a possible influx of foreign nationals into the country.
And Mr. Mpombo said there has been a misconception arising from the statement by the International Federation of the Red Cross in South Africa regarding the contingent plan developed in March this year.
The Zambian Government also denies receiving a request to provide asylum to 25,000 refugees from South Africa, who are said to be coming to Zambia following the recent violence against African foreign immigrants.
And Standard Bank head office in South Africa has donated 3 million Rand to victims of the ongoing xenophobic violence in South Africa.
Chief executive officer Jacko Maree announced the bank’s donation in a statement released to ZANIS in Lusaka today by Stanbic Bank, its local branch in Zambia.
Mr Maree said his bank strongly condemns the deplorable violence resulting from the xenophobic intolerance in South Africa.
He said the 3 million Rand will be given to the South African Red Cross to feed about 10,000 victims of xenophobic violence who are currently accommodated in 20 camps across the country.
Mr Maree said Standard Bank is saddened by the plight of the victims hence the donation to alleviate their situation.
South Africa has been engulfed by xenophobic violence targeted at African immigrants in which over 50 people are reported to have been killed.
Zimbos, are in Zed, They dont need to apply for Residence or Visaz, they can easily filter and live in Zambia while waiting for mugabe to be kicked out ot their economy pick again
Make em go home to vote out the cause of their misfortunes!
Zambia need not bear responsibility over these victims (Other than as a member of the international community). I think the government has taken a prudent action by not issuing a wholesome, unconditional and impulsive welcome to these people. S Africa faces a un precedented predicament in which it must try to resettle people back into communities that rejected them. It is therefore imperative that countries of origin of these victim take responsibility in helping S Africa cope with this unique situation. So far the only response (Nigeria) does not seem to address the plight of the affected. As we go into winter rains, more dehumanizing pictures will emerge perhaps worse than what w
we saw when these people were smoked out of what they called houses. Please LT, 3 people is not news. The news should be about stimulating leaders in responsible countries to take action. For now, these leaders are as insensitive as our angry communities and by extension, they too are xenophobic.
These asylums are largely economic motivated than politics.That is why i zero on economic matters. That said i must say to disparage reformers for their courageous policy decisions tailored for the common good, is to advance a poor discourse, as so many modern revisionists are doing short of smart alternatives. I’m not being in denial that the free market reform times have developed a class gap without sign for immediate compromise or implicit social contracts as hoped.
Yes, the process of nation-state building has been reversed, and the social fault-lines that the compromise glossed over are once more emerging. But the answer is not protectionism in the early years of nation-state building. The way to go is fostering effective economic safeguards, which ultimately promote resourceful, internal economic activities with tangible benefits on aggregate to all Zambians.Japan or any other successful nation did not start with protectionism following their defeat and take over by the Macarthur administration.
To improve the economic position of the bottom four-fifths will require that the strong & fortunate fifth in the world share their wealth and invest in the wealth-creating capacities of other citizens free of protectionism. Earnestly, as the super rich become ever more linked with the global economy, they become less passionate to transfer opportunities into protected economies. The less fortunate compatriots end up the losers.
Lets face it, there are two opposite trends in the world today and Zambia is no exception on social development: one group is going up, reflecting elite politics; and one going down, a group increasingly disenfranchised and caught in structural unemployment, whose political aims have no (or diminishing) outlets in the traditional parties and the changing nation-state.
If not careful and bold enough to face realities of the Global imbalances with wisdom, the trend will worsen on our watch. Only the archipelago of the connected classes that reside in every megacity from Bornbay to Sao Paulo, will prosper from the new capitalist (global) order if we turn protectionist junks in our early years of nation-state building reforms. The rest of the ever swelling ranks of the lumpen planet from Cairo to the xenophobic Cape risk facing a fate worse than colonialism that closed its heart to a shared vision of Global prosperity for all.
Our politics as Africans on the ground or here should be smart based Alliances of social movements on real issues reflective of educated voices for those regarded as losers or irrelevant in this new elite rearrangement of the world economic irrelevance.Africa must urgently deal with her economic and political woes. Its a pressure cooker that needs serious heads together for lasting solutions rather than the school yard politics of cheap criticism we are entrenched in even here.
I am confused with the use of the terms “Refugee” and “Asylum”. Does it mean that as at now only three Zimbos or other have passed through the border(s) to seek protection? If that is the case then we should not worry. My understanding is that for one to seek asylum, the individual has to be classified as refugee. Roughly how many refugees have gotten into Zed? Anybody with figures should keep us informed.
The reason why only 3 have requested for refugee status is because everyone else is probably entering the country using visitors visas by claiming, they are coming to do business in Zambia by selling ‘looted’ products from RSA to Zambia. 24,997 others will be part of the tourism and immigration statistics as “tourists”.
MMD is full of media spin doctoring!!
Zambia must re-examine its stance on its support for the MDC. MDC are are an exact copy of Ian Smith’s policies – empowering whites at the expense of the vast majority.
LPM and his GRZ are essentially robots of the imperialists against Mugabe. Mugabe is a nationalist while LPM and his economic hooligans are sell-outs.
#13 Development Specialist, Mugabe ceased to be a nationalist years ago. His main preoccupation now is to be life president at whatever cost. This is the reason why he has unleashed his stooges to administer a campaign of terror on his compatriots. No sane nationalist does such things. Why did Mugabe wait from 1980 to 2000 before he could empower the blacks? He did it purely for political expedience because he had lost popularity. I am not entirely sure that Zambia supports the MDC.Condemning Mugabe’s violence, which every right thinking person should do,should not be translated as support for MDC. What special about Mugabe’s anyway? NOTHING!!! Mugabe must go!!!
#13 Development specialist, You’ve gat to be kidding…calling Bob a nationalist…a nationalist who reigns terror on he’s own nationals? C’mon people, call a spade a spade…not a shovel. #14 KSK, you are so right!!!
#6 Pragmatist, While one can equate protectionism to xenophobia, one also needs to understand that economic protectionism is an essential ingredient in the economy of a nation that wants to pertake in the global economy. Look at the effect of subsidies for EU farmers has had on the ability of African farmers competing on the world economy. The RSA car industry remains vibrant due to the country’s protectionist policy against Japanese vehicles. The problem with our country is we don’t even have an effective policy. These Ministers and governors talk about targets devoid of actions to achieve them. I for one would be a good econc planner for my country but I can never be given that opportunity
There is no such thing as Refugee and asylum seekers. If you use these words then they equally apply to us all. Let people stay wherever they want to stay!!!!
you’re right Anonymous. once we wake up from sleep, there will be nothing left in zed.
#13 (dev something) you must be benefiting from Mugabe’s reign. Infact, I’m of the suspicion that you are Chinamasa’s (one of Mugabe’s talkative ministers) son. I know he is in the country and he speaks nonsense – just like his father.
Please do not welcome these Zimbabweans.They were very hostile to us during their better times despite assisting them a lot during their liberation wars. Honestly, why are we accomodating these people here?
Pragmatist, this is a very important statement “The way to go is fostering effective economic safeguards, which ultimately promote resourceful, internal economic activities with tangible benefits on aggregate to all.”End of quote from your post. These safe guards may be seen by some as protectionist manuvres but ultimately, all countries do such things. there re many examples of how such safeguards have been used before and others still needed. Xenophobia in Zambia and S Africa is a result of failure by governments to put in place such safeguards.