Ministry Of Foreign Affairs Distances Shava From Purported Comments On Emigration

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade has dismissed a report by a local daily publication about remarks allegedly made by Minister Frederick Shava on emigration and the Zimbabwe Exemption Permits (ZEPs).

In a statement, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade spokesperson Livit Mugejo said Shava never made the comments attributed to him, contrary to the report. Reads the statement:

The Ministry wishes to correct the news story carried by the Newsday on 29 August 2022 titled “Govt in shock migration admission.”

The article claims that the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Honourable Frederick Shava, has admitted that Zimbabweans depend on earnings from the diaspora for a living because the local economy is in a crisis.

The article further claims that Minister Shava said Zimbabwe was working closely with South Africa to the latter’s decision when the Zimbabwe Special Exemption Permits expire in December.

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The report purports that Minister Shava made these admissions while addressing delegates during a courtesy call by the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission Chairperson Elasto Mugwadi to his office.

The Ministry would want to put it on record that there was no such meeting that took place and therefore no such statements were made by the Honourable Minister as suggested in the report.

Rampant speculations by media houses regarding the Zimbabwe Exemption Permits in South Africa and that they were due to expire in December 2022, are largely the cause for these false reports and claims.

The report published by Newsday is based on a meeting that never happened and does not represent government’s position.

It is unfortunate that the paper is pushing misleading information which is not based on facts, but rather on a generalised view without consultation with the relevant authorities.

The Ministry would like to urge the media to verify their stories before publishing so that they don’t misinform the public and cause unnecessary anxiety.