The Department of Home Affairs has appealed to Lesotho nationals without permits to urgently report to nearby offices.

This comes after a number of the Lesotho Special Permit (LSP) applicants reported that they have not yet received their permits. According to the department’s director general, Mkuseli Apleni, the department is currently processing received applications and the process is expected to conclude in March.

Apleni says any Lesotho citizen found in the South Africa post-March without a permit will then be regarded as an illegal migrant. Applicants who may have fraudulently obtained South African documents were urged to surrender to the Department’s offices and were granted amnesty letters which were valid until 31 December 2016. Apleni says post March this year no migrant will be granted amnesty.

“Between now and March we will be giving people a chance to bring forward outstanding documents in their applications. Thereafter anyone who will not be able to submit any outstanding document will be regarded as illegal in the country, and then the process of deporting illegal people in our country will kick in.”

Apleni says the process of completing applications is almost done.

He warns Lesotho nationals that by the end of March they should be in possession of valid permits otherwise they will be deported.