Around 300 Zimbabwean women, some with babies as young as five weeks, braved the cold, wet weather and spent Thursday night outside the city's Home Affairs offices in the hope of obtaining a document that would allow them to live and work in the country for 12 months.
But early on Friday the women were told they would not be getting any papers and were asked to go to the Nyanga Refugee Reception Centre.
Zimbawean national Puellah Dombo, who has been living in Eerste River, and her three-year-old daughter were among those sleeping in the cold on the pavement.
She said if the department communicated the situation more publicly and if they allowed bigger numbers of people inside they would not have people sleeping on the pavements outside their offices.
Like several other women, Dombo hoped to apply for a section 31,2b document enabling them to live and work in South Africa for 12 months.
On Thursday night the group of women said they "did not have a choice" and needed to sleep outside the offices to get the papers.
"We can't afford to leave here. Because when we get back in the morning there will be a longer queue, we will never get helped then," said Mary Chiko.
Chiko said that without the document she would be "lost" and preferred to sleep outside knowing she would be helped in a few hours.
Chiko explained that the department had allowed a two-week period for women to obtain the document, adding that this period expired on Friday.
"Our time is up, so we have to stay here and hope they will help us," she said.
Meanwhile steps have been taken to increase efficiency at the Nyanga Refugee Reception Centre, the department said.
Among the changes were that the staff complement had been beefed up, said department spokesperson Siobhan McCarthy.
- Cape Argus
But early on Friday the women were told they would not be getting any papers and were asked to go to the Nyanga Refugee Reception Centre.
Zimbawean national Puellah Dombo, who has been living in Eerste River, and her three-year-old daughter were among those sleeping in the cold on the pavement.
She said if the department communicated the situation more publicly and if they allowed bigger numbers of people inside they would not have people sleeping on the pavements outside their offices.
Like several other women, Dombo hoped to apply for a section 31,2b document enabling them to live and work in South Africa for 12 months.
On Thursday night the group of women said they "did not have a choice" and needed to sleep outside the offices to get the papers.
"We can't afford to leave here. Because when we get back in the morning there will be a longer queue, we will never get helped then," said Mary Chiko.
Chiko said that without the document she would be "lost" and preferred to sleep outside knowing she would be helped in a few hours.
Chiko explained that the department had allowed a two-week period for women to obtain the document, adding that this period expired on Friday.
"Our time is up, so we have to stay here and hope they will help us," she said.
Meanwhile steps have been taken to increase efficiency at the Nyanga Refugee Reception Centre, the department said.
Among the changes were that the staff complement had been beefed up, said department spokesperson Siobhan McCarthy.
- Cape Argus
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