Undocumented Lesotho nationals working‚ studying or doing business in South Africa have just three days left to apply for a Lesotho Special Permit (LSP).
This after the Department of Home Affairs extended the application deadline twice this year‚ in June and September.
No further extensions will be granted by the department‚ according to a statement by technology services company VFS Global‚ responsible for operating the application centres and processing the permits.
The application process is broken into two steps: payment of the application fee and completing the application with the relevant documentation at one of the nine provincial application centres or mobile units at ports of entry.
To date 179 452 applications have been received and 85 276 payments for permits have been received. Thus far 43 034 permits have been issued.
VFS Global warned that those who do not possess a valid permit by March 2017 will be deported. This includes Lesotho nationals who have paid the application fee on time but have failed to process their paperwork.
“Lesotho nationals who have applied should phone the VFS call-centre to check if their permits are ready for collection‚ and duly collect them‚” it said.
In a final push to assist applicants‚ provincial LSP centres and mobile units at ports of entry will be open daily until the deadline on December 31.
Mobile units can be found at the Maseru‚ Ficksburg‚ Van Rooyen Heck‚ Telebridge‚ Fouriesburg and Qachas's Neck entry ports. Most of these will be open from 6am to 11pm‚ with the exception of Maseru and Ficksburg which will be open 24 hours per day.
Earlier this month Home Affairs Director-General Mkuseli Apleni and Lesotho's Home Affairs Principal Secretary Borenahabokhete Sekonyela visited the Ficksburg and Maseru Bridge entry ports‚ in a bid to urge Lesotho nationals to apply for their special permits. - TMG Digital
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