Zimbabweans in South Africa to get the R700 million grant

Zimbabweans in South Africa had a breather after the South African  Pretoria High Court made an order compelling the government to include asylum-seekers in the R700 million Covid-19 relief grant.

Recipients are expected to receive R350

The judgment was handed down by Judge Selby Baqwa on Thursday following an application by the Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town, an NGO advocating for and assisting asylum-seekers, migrants and refugees. The NGO approached the court to force government to extend the grant to asylum-seekers and special permit holders.

The court declared directions issued by Minister Lindiwe Zulu unconstitutional and unlawful for excluding asylum-seekers and special permit holders from accessing the grant.

Responding to the ruling, the Department of Social Development (DSD) said it would be adhering to the ruling.

Spokesperson Lumka Oliphant told South African media that, “It is important to first clarify that the judgment did not instruct the government to include refugees; they were already included.

“The court order was about the inclusion of asylum-seekers and special permit holders from Zimbabwe, Angola and Lesotho.

“The department will have to amend to include the words ‘holders of special permits under the Special Angolan Dispensation, the Lesotho Exemption Permit Dispensation and the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit Dispensation, and asylum-seekers whose section 22 permits/visas are valid or were valid on 15 March 2020.”