SOUTH AFRICAN MIGRATION POLICY ON THE ZIMBABWEAN SPECIAL PERMIT RENEWAL EXPERIENCE: DIPLOMACY OF WEAPONS FOR POWER

Abstract

Purpose: The study looks at the South African migration policy on the Zimbabwean special permit renewal experience. Once regarded as the doyen of Africa, Zimbabwe's economic crisis and political upheaval forced citizens to migrate to South Africa, because, she serves as regional power for peace and security.   Theoretical reference: Warm hospitality and ‘ubuntu’ (humanity towards others) extended to Zimbabwean migrants resulted in the Dispensation of Zimbabwean Project (DZP) permit introduction to legalise them not to be ‘undesirable’ migrants. In 2014 the DZP was changed to Zimbabwean Special Permit (ZSP) and expired in 2017.   Method: The paper adopts systematic literature review (SLR) research for the study. The journal article selections start from the year 2010 to 2022. The twelve (12) years duration for the literature review was done to get access to the current information about the topic under discussion. As a result exclusions and inclusions were done regards to the migration diplomacy, coercing, and weapons for power.   Results and Conclusion: The finding reveals, that harassment, deportability, pressure group formation and short-term permit renewal are adopted, to be recognised, powerful, and improve reputation and status globally. However, whether migration tools engaged in to achieve such goals would be successful remains blurred, since South Africa recently extended the ZEP for another six months to 31 December 2023.   Implications of research: The paper contributes to the South-South migration literature which is understudied and recommends empirical studies to unravel hidden intentions.   Originality/value: The pressure groups and vigilante such as Operation Dulula and #PutSouthAfricaFirst emerged and exerted excessive pressure on the government to deport the foreigners from the country.  This finding is not different from what Durand, Massey and Parrado found that during the contraction periods of the economy the host nation’s, pressure groups and union’s demands the expulsion of the migrant.