MDC Alliance president Nelson Chamisa said the opposition party is concerned about the plight of hundreds of thousands of Zimbabwean economic refugees in South Africa.
In a tweet on Friday, Chamisa said, once in power, the MDC Alliance will ensure there is a vibrant economy that will allow Zimbabweans to return to their homeland. Chamisa said:
To all Zimbabweans living in South Africa, we are concerned about you, your challenges and seized with your situation.
We have opened platforms of engagement. Ultimately, we must fix our home base and that which has destroyed our beautiful and great country.
The immigration crisis facing the region is a result of too much diplomacy and too little action on the rigging of elections, governance deficits and multiple rights violations.
In order to solve the immigration challenges, we must end elections rigging and citizens repression.
Chamisa’s remarks come after South Africa discontinued special permits (Zimbabwe Exemption Permits) that benefited about 200 000 Zimbabweans living and working in the neighbouring country.
Hundreds of undocumented Zimbabweans cross the border into South Africa daily, and this has forced Pretoria to tighten its regulations and beef up security to keep them out.