Lax SA Embassy infringing my kid’s right to education

THE OPEN letter from Batsirai Tikunde in the May 22 edition of the Star was an honest and concerning issue that the South African Embassy is not taking seriously.

I submitted a study permit application with my daughter on April 10. It was meant to regularise my daughter’s special dispensation permit that she was granted during the programme. The permit expires at the end of December.

On submission at the VFS office her passport was submitted as well, although certified copies were attached to the application. I have dealt with the VFS in Rivonia and in Bruma twice and have never been asked to submit passports. I made numerous attempts to find out from the VFS consultants how best I could advise the embassy that my child had a valid permit and would need to return to school. Around the fourth week I was advised to write a motivational letter to the embassy.

I spent five weeks in Zimbabwe waiting for the outcome of the application but to no avail. My daughter is in Zimbabwe as she could not travel back with me because her passport is at the embassy.

She has not been to school this term because of the adjudication process being slow and not taking into account that this is a high school pupil. My daughter has been studying in South Africa since Grade 2 and is in Grade 9. The Bill of Rights, Section 28 subsection 2, states: “A child’s best interests are of paramount importance in every matter concerning the child”. Subsection 3, states that “child” refers to a person under the age of 18 years. Her right to go to school and get an education is also being infringed upon.

The embassy does not recognise this and as advised by the VFS supervisor, I should enrol my child in Zimbabwe for the time being which to me is an insensitive comment and unwarranted.

The minister needs to look deeply into this embassy and rectify the situation before things get out of hand. Tracy Moyo Randburg