December 12 2017 – The SA Home Affairs has stepped in to prevent the accounts of ZEP applicants whose accounts have been frozen by some major banks,following threats by local banks to freeze their accounts by end of the month when the permits expire.
According to a statement released by Home Affairs director general – Immigration Jackie Mckay, all banks,learning institutions and employers have been ordered to give ZEP applicants services until they get their permits.
This follows a number of complaints from the ZSP holders that they were receiving notices from major banks like ABS, Capitec,FNB, Nedbank and Standard Bank to renew their permits by 31 December of have their accounts frozen.
December 31, is when the old ZSP permits expire.
However Mckay says the Department of Home Affairs has made an arrangement with the SA Banking Risk Information Centre that the some 250 000 ZEP applicants be allowed to transact and enjoy access to their accounts.
In addition to this the Department has assured ZEP applicants that they will also travel freely in and out of SA.
“The Department has notified its officials at Ports of entry to travel without hinderance as long as they have their VFS receipts and proof of payment so that they are not marked as undesirable,” adds Mckay as the festive season.
The Department of Home Affairs recently extended the deadline for applications to the end of January 2018 to pave way for the issuing of the new ZEP permit. -Patience Rusere
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