By KITSEPILE NYATHI in Harare
Wednesday, May 04, 2011
They have warned of a worse disease outbreak if the situation was not addressed urgently.
The Somalis were denied entry into South Africa where they wanted to apply for asylum and were now stranded at Zimbabwe’s border town of Beitbridge.
A local environment officer, Mr Notho Dube, said 10 Somalis had been admitted to hospital suffering from malaria. Two of them were reportedly in a critical condition.
“We anticipate a possible disease outbreak if the situation continues like this, and we urge government and other stakeholders to join hands to find a solution as a matter of urgency,” Mr Dube told a local newspaper.
Officials said South Africa had changed its immigration laws, which allowed refugees without proper documentation to enter the country.
Asylum applications
The regulations reportedly came into effect on April 29 and had seen many Somalis arriving at Beitbridge being stranded. Beitbridge is the biggest port of entry between Zimbabwe and South Africa.
“Most of the Somali refugees are undocumented, yet they are supposed to have referral clearance letters from the first country of safety before they can proceed to the next and it looks like immigration laws were being flouted,” Mr Charles Gwede, an immigration official in Beitbridge, said.
Source: Africa Review