Snags over travel documents trap Tanzanians in South Africa.

Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation minister Bernard Membe.

 Some 21 Tanzanians seeking to return home from South Africa remain trapped there while government continues working on their emergency travel documents.

 

 The development follows last week’s anti-foreigner protests in Durban and Johannesburg cities in the country.

The protesting South Africans were attacking and looting businesses and shops owned by foreign nationals, mostly from other African countries, accusing them of taking their job opportunities.

 

At least 23 Tanzanians are camped at Isipingo in Durban, although two among them had refused to be repatriated back home.

 

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation head of communications Mindi Kasiga told ‘The Guardian’ that the process of acquiring travelling documents is a bit complicated since most of the victims flee from their places of residence in a rush.

 

“It is not something we can do at once ... most of them had left their passports and other documents at home so we must provide them with emergency papers,” Mindi said.

 

The official further noted that before repatriating them, there must be a two-sided hand-over before departure. 

 

Once the process is completed the ministry shall inform the public on the arrival of the repatriates, Mindi said.

 

Speaking to newsmen in Dar es Salaam on Monday, Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation minister Bernard Membe said: “There are twenty three Tanzanians camped in Durban … we are finalising arrangements to bring them back home although two have insisted to continue staying in South Africa”.

 

The Minister however noted that there are more than 10,000 Tanzanians residing in Durban and Johannesburg where there are xenophobic attacks. “We don’t have the exact number of Tanzanians living in South Africa as most of them go there through illegal routes,” he said.

 

Explaining on the death of three Tanzanians in South Africa, Membe insisted that the deaths were not linked with the xenophobic attacks. 

 

Official from Tanzania and those in South Africa are now conducting an evaluation on the damaged properties such as shops, offices and structures that belong to Tanzanian businessmen including those that have been set on fire.

 

He advised Tanzanians living South Africa and those in other countries to make sure they officially register themselves at the Tanzanian embassies. Once registered a person can be easily traced and even assisted, he added.  

 

On Tuesday, South Africa's defence minister, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said that soldiers have been deployed in volatile areas in Johannesburg and KwaZulu-Natal in a bid to quell anti-immigrant violence that by then had killed seven people in several weeks of unrest.

 

The government of South Africa had vowed to strongly crackdown on the unrest, but the decision to deploy soldiers on the streets came after two nights of relative quiet in both cities.

 

Government authorities there said that 307 suspects had been arrested for a range of xenophobic-related crimes last Sunday in Johannesburg. 

 

The spate of attacks has revived memories of xenophobic bloodshed in 2008, when 62 people were killed in Johannesburg alone.