Africa-Press – Lesotho. Minister of Home Affairs Tsukutlane Au has called for an extension of the deadline for the Lesotho Special Permit. The closing date for the applications was on December 31 2016.
In a press conference following his meeting with South African Home Affairs Minister Fatima Chohan, Lesotho Home Affairs minister Au said he has requested South Africa to give Basotho another chance to apply for the LSP in order to regularize their stay in South Africa.
“We are aware that even though the time for the LSP application was extended more than twice, there are still Basotho nationals who have not applied, hence we pleaded with South Africa to give them yet another chance,” he said.
South African minister of Home Affairs released a statement earlier on October 2017 on the progress made towards the LSP applications and all the processes.
According to the statement, about 94, 951 Basotho nationalists had applied for the LSP, but only 86 501 were approved and collected by the owners while 7 036 were still at the Visa Facilitation Centres (VFC).
He said many of the Basotho nationals failed to apply and collect the LSP due to the various problems they encountered during the process. However Au said they were awaiting for the response from the South African government, on whether there will be extension or not. He said Chohan promised to take the matter before the South African cabinet and will soon give the feedback to the Lesotho government.
Meanwhile, in preparation of the Christmas holidays Au said the two countries have increased the number of people working at the boarders so that they could limit the time people spends queuing at the border posts during the festive season when everyone is making way in and out their countries.
He said they have also adjusted the working hours in all the borders so that people have the opportunity to cross the borders at their own time indicating that borders such as Maseru, Maputsoe and others will be opened 24 hours during this festive season.
Also he indicated that South Africa home affairs has already started collecting data for documented people so as to prepare for a database where people will no longer have their passports stamped at the borders but will only be detected through the use of the thumps.
The special dispensation is meant for Lesotho nationals who are working, studying or running businesses in South Africa and has been in the country in such capacity before 30 September 2015.
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