Embassy of South Africa in Harare

Study permit
The South African Embassy should be considerate of schools and university opening dates because they issue permits well after registration closing dates inconveniencing students

study permits
when are study permits coming out,especially those applied in december because i am hearing different stories of 6/8 weeks?

Study Permit
applied at vfs in december and they also now saying end jan and professing ignorance as to how and when embassy decided to change processing time from 15 days to 6-8 weeks. i do understand they may be inundated but just simple open communication will help. its only fair to tell people so they can plan their lives. i doubt we would be in a panicky state if we knew upon submission that we have to wait sooo long for a study permit.

Study permit
I applied for a study permit on December at VFS. At school I'm wanted by 21 January. I would like to know when it is coming out? worried

Study permit
Has anyone who applied for their study permit in December received one yet ? Because they are now saying end of January, and registration would have already been done . I am panicking right now

Study Permit
For those who applied for study permit in Dec 2016 at VFS, is there anyone who managed to collect the permit yet. Was told the process now takes 6-8wks. Share with others so that we know our position as most universities open this month.

Work Visas
Went to the embassy today. Many Student Visas were issued, most work visas issued today were for Sept 2016 going back. One of the official guys said Ministry of Home Affairs in SA opened on Monday and they can only get feedback for 2016 work visas on Friday.

Critical Skills Visa
Passed by Embassy today and was told to start checking next week as these are prossessed in SA and they only started are work on Monday in sa.

Critical skills visa
Good day,
I applied for CSv on 2/6/2016, I then retrieved my passport. On hearing that they were out in the last week of august, i went to collect it in the 1st week of September, unluckily, i was told to leave the passport 1st and fetch after a week or 3 - i have gone there 6 times after this to no avail. 1 official said it is because i disturbed the process by retrieving my passport, but judging from the time=frame (Sep 16 - Jan 17), it is too long a time and it is seemingly becoming some sort of punishment. What hurts is, there seems to be no one willing to assist or giving me a solid answer at the embassy. Can someone please assist with a direct line I can use to speak with someone who can assist me and many others. I am really stranded.

Thanking you,

Payment of a fine
Dear Sir / Madam

I am compelled to write this letter regarding what I believe to be extremely inefficient, heartless handling of a situation.
A lady who works for our company in Bulawayo tried to send her son with his father to South Africa recently, he travels on his own passport. This family struggle to make ends meet and it was agreed they could go on one of our cross border vehicles. On arrival on the SA side of the border the father was okay to proceed yet the son was rejected entry based on the fact that he had over stayed on his previous visit in 2012 by one day. He apparently had to settle a R 1000.00 fine. They were advised they could not do it at the border and that it had to be done at the South African Embassy in Harare. The Father proceeded and the son had to try find his way back home to Bulawayo at 21.00 hrs with very little money. I won’t dwell on the risks he took as it is not the point of this letter.
The mother then contacted the South African Embassy in Harare and was told to send the fine, passport and letter authorising our messenger to go pay the fine on his behalf. She was told she had 3 days to sort this out and as a result had to Fedex the documents to our office in Harare, at an expense she can hardly afford. Our messenger went to the office at the SA embassy only to now be told that the son would need to appear in person. He would appear, deposit the funds, no longer R 1000.00 but now US$ 84.00, into the account and return with the deposit slip and then wait 3 - 4 days for the funds to reflect, ludicrous considering it is a cash deposit and therefore reflects instantly.
The folks had to now pay for the son to travel to Harare by bus and arrange at least 4 nights accommodation, all at their expense, waiting for the funds to be checked as reflecting in the account and then hopefully get a receipt.
After spending the whole morning trying to get the bank details the son deposited the cash in the account this morning, 10/01/2017, only to be refused entry back into the Embassy when returning with the deposit slip and told to return the following day.
He now has to sit and wait in the hope he can get the receipt by Thursday 12th January, no guarantees.
Whilst I accept that he defaulted in over staying by a day back in 2012, I also find this whole process to be extremely unfair on the individual and a huge expense for a family who simply cannot afford it. Why were they not asked to pay the fine back in 2012 when exiting South Africa, why should an individual need to appear in person simply to pay a deposit fine into an account and why when making a cash deposit into an account would one have to wait for bank clearance.
Despite the mothers best efforts to explain her situation to those in office in the SA Embassy in Harare they remained extremely unhelpful and most uncompassionate.


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Surely this also makes unnecessary work for your office and there has to be an easier way of handling these situation and remaining cognisant of the fact this is a huge expense and inconvenience for what appears a simple situation.
I find it very sad that people are treated this way and the purpose of this letter is simply to make you aware of it.