Zimbabwean Truckers Facing Xenophobia In SA Are Moving To Poland
Zimbabwean truck drivers who are facing xenophobia in South Africa are migrating to Poland where the entry-level salary is said to be about US$1 800 a month.
The head of the Zimbabwe Truckers Association of South Africa, Wellington Manyonda, was reported as saying Zimbabwean truckers feel they are not welcome in the neighbouring country.
About three hundred (300) Zimbabwean truck drivers have moved to Poland where the entry-level wage is about US$1 800. Said Manyonda (via The South African):
It’s become clear to many Zimbabwean truckers operating in SA that they are not welcome here, and I am aware of about 300 of them who have moved to Poland where they are welcomed.
They can earn good money in Poland, where the entry-level wage is about $1 800 [R34 000 a month].
A truck driver who spoke to The South African shared his experience with license renewal, saying that the traffic department could not help him. He said:
I have a ZEP permit [Zimbabwe Exemption Permit], and by that token, they just told me to forget that I would be able to renew the licence anywhere in South Africa.
On 01 December 2023, the South African Government, through its Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi announced the extension of ZEP by another two years to 29 November 2025.
Manyonda also raised concerns about the potential linkage of Traffic Register Numbers (TRN) licenses to the ZEP expiry date.
He said this results in the exclusion of many Zimbabwean truck drivers from the system and hinders their ability to earn a living in South Africa. Added Manyonda:
It’s clear this has to do with the upcoming elections in SA and the ruling party wants to win votes by scapegoating Zimbabweans, who are being falsely blamed for much that is wrong in SA, such as crime and unemployment.
It’s a sad commentary on the state of the country that we have to fight so many legal battles to protect the rights of Zimbabweans here, but we have no choice.
Advocate Simba Chitando has expressed concern over the denial of license renewals, saying:
It’s completely illegal and unconstitutional to deny Zimbabweans lawfully in SA to renew their driver’s licences, and we must now again go to court to force the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) to comply with the law and stop making up the law on the fly.
According to the Zimbabwe Truckers Association of SA, more than 400 truckers have been killed by local vigilantes since 2019.
More: Pindula News
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