Zimbabwean ambassador to South Africa David Hamadziripi has denied accusations that the government is working on assisting ZEP holders to woo them to vote for ZANU PF in the upcoming general elections.
Addressing the media in Pretoria, South Africa on Thursday, Hamadziripi said the embassy will assist those who want to return home and will provide transport for them. He said, as quoted by SABC News:
This exercise it has absolutely nothing to do with the upcoming elections in Zimbabwe.
It is not the government of Zimbabwe that took the decision that the ZEP is going to end on the 30th of June.
I think it’s typical cynicism translating everything into a political gamble. No, we are talking about people’s lives here.
Hamadziripi also said he didn’t know how many undocumented and documented Zimbabweans were living in South Africa. He said:
We don’t process entry into South Africa. Documented and undocumented Zimbabweans enter South Africa through various ports of entry.
South Africa doesn’t share with us the number of documented and documented compatriots.