Angolan Cessation Updates

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Welcome. This webpage is for people affected by the Angolan Cessation: people who are originally from Angola, and who were previously documented with asylum or refugee documentation in South Africa.

The Department of Home Affairs is inviting qualifying Angolan nationals to apply for the Angolan Exemption Permit.

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This instruction video guides Angolan nationals on how to apply for the Angolan Exemption Permit (AEP), following the announcement by the Department of Home Affairs regarding the AEP permit on 5 August 2021.

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Questions + Answers

Who can apply for the Angolan Exemption Permit? 

  1. Angolans who were issued with the Angolan Cessation Permit (ACP) but did not apply for the Angolan Special permit (ASP).
  2. Angolans who were issued with the Angolan Special permit (ASP).
  3. All Angolan refugees or asylum seekers who were issued with Section 24 or Section 22 permits before 31 August 2013, this being the date when the Tripartite Commission Agreement was signed marking the end of the Civil War in Angola.

What are the requirements for application? 

  1. Angolan passport valid for more than 12 months on date of application.
  2. Proof of Refugee/Asylum Seeker Permit issued before 31 August 2013
  3. Copy of Angolan Cessation Permit (ACP) or Angolan Special permit (ASP)

Do I need to pay an application fee for the Angolan Exemption Permit? 

Yes, the Visa Facilitation Services (VFS) processing fee is R1 090. This is a requirement for the processing of your application and is NOT negotiable. Applicants under the ACP and ASP dispensation were not required to pay application fees. However, the Angolan Exemption Permit comes with rights of residency, which attract a fee for the processing. Clients who intend to apply for permits for their spouses and children must take note of the application fees requirement.

Is there an expiry date to these permits as was the case with the ACP and ASP?

The Angolan Exemption Permits will be issued with permanent residency and will not have an expiry date. The Minister of Home Affairs has in the past granted the rights of permanent residency for a specified period of time. This time around, permanent residency will be granted indefinitely which will allow permit holders when granted to apply for identity documents.

Is there a closing date for applying for the Angolan Exemption Permits? 

The Department of Home Affairs has not indicated when applications will be closed. However, we advise clients to submit their applications timeously to avoid a rush, should Home Affairs announce a closing date at a later time.

Can spouses and children apply for the Angolan Exemption Permit? 

Spouses and children of the affected Angolan nationals will be allowed to apply for mainstream visas or permits after the main member has obtained his/her exemption permit.

  • The spouse of an individual who has been granted permanent residency can apply for a temporary spousal permit
  • Children of the permanent resident of school going age are eligible to apply for a study permit.
  • Children who are not yet in school are eligible to apply for a relative’s visa.

All of these applications can be made from within South Africa. This is a positive move as this waives the requirement for first time applications to be lodged from the country of origin. In the interim these spouses and children should apply for a valid passport.

How does one apply for the police clearance report?

A South African Police Report, will be obtained by the department on behalf of the applicant, and a fee must be paid for this report.

Please note that an additional R185.00 is required for the police clearance report. This fee is payable at the VFS offices and they do NOT accept cash payments.

Applicants must ensure that they have made provision for payment by card for this service.

How long after submission of the required documents will it take before permits are issued?

The turnaround time to issue the Angolan Exemption Certificate may take up to eight weeks. However, it may take longer than that and applicants can track the status of their applications on the VFS website.

Are we required to submit proof of employment or study as in previous years? 

The Angolan Exemption permit will be issued with rights of permanent residency and with that comes the right to work and study in South Africa. Supporting documentation for your application is explained in step 1 above.

Will Scalabrini be assisting with submission of  applications for the Angolan Exemption Permits?

Scalabrini is not able to assist with applications at this point.  However, we are planning to do a step-by-step tutorial guide on how to submit the online application on the VFS website.

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What is the Angolan Cessation?

The South African government ceased (cancelled) refugee status for Angolans in 2013. Through various legal and advocacy efforts, most Angolan former refugees have been granted an ASP permit. Please click here to read more about the Angolan Cessation, or watch a short video about it, below.

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What is the Angolan Cessation Committee?

The Angolan Cessation Committee was set up in May 2018. It is separate to the Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town. This is an informal body, made up of people, originally from Angola, who previously held refugee status, who live in South Africa. The Angolan Cessation Committee’s aim is to try to engage with the Department of Home Affairs specifically on matters regarding Angolans who formerly held refugee status in South Africa. This Committee regularly communicates with the Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town (SCCT) who offers support and advice. Members of the Angolan Cessation Committee are not paid for this; their involvement is voluntary.

How was the Angolan Cessation Committee set up, and can I join?

In 2017 the Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town made a suggestion to the Angolan former refugee community to set up a committee. A meeting was held at the Scalabrini Centre. Then, a wider community meeting was held at Scalabrini’s hall, where the Committee was explained and people who wanted to apply to join were provided with contact details. The committee is open to people applying to join and we want to make sure that it is transparent and open. If you would like to join the committee, please write an email to angolancessationcommittee@gmail.com

What did the Angolan Cessation Committee ask of the Department of Home Affairs?

In January 2019, the Angolan Cessation Committee sent a letter to the Minister of Home Affairs, the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Head of Waivers and Exemptions and the Chairperson of Standing Committee for Refugee Affairs, requesting a meeting pertaining to three points:

  • Angolan former refugees holding an Angolan Special Permit (ASP permit), numbering about 2,000 people, have the right to remain in South Africa until 31 December 2020. These people have lived in South Africa for two decades and have adult children born here. We requested clarity from the Minister of Home Affairs regarding their futures, the possible extension of these permits or, ideally, the granting of permanent residency.
  • Many spouses and children of ASP permit-holders are currently undocumented due to the administrative exclusions presented by the Angolan Cessation process. They are unable to apply to immigration permits. This is a limited group of people. We requested clarity from the Minister of Home Affairs regarding their legality in South Africa and if his Department would provide documentation options for this category of persons.
  • Several Angolan former refugees were excluded from the Cessation process. This only pertains to those Angolan nationals who previously held refugee status and so is a limited group of people. We requested clarity from the Minister of Home Affairs on whether they can expand documentation options to this group of people.

You can see this letter (whose receipt was confirmed by the Department of Home Affairs) here.

This letter has been followed up on a regular basis since January 2019. No meeting has been granted, and no clarity has been provided for Angolan former refugees living in South Africa.

What else has the Angolan Cessation Committee done?

In November 2020, the Committee plans to undertake the different actions to try to get a clear message on the future for Angolan former refugees in South Africa. We are trying to get the matter raised in parliament too. In due course, we also plan to publish a press release. We will post updates here on this page.

Where can I get updates on this?

On this page. Via Scalabrini, the Angolan Cessation Committee will update here, on this webpage with news on our work. So please check back on this page for updates.

I want to contact someone from Scalabrini about this. Who can I contact?

Please email Ellen at ellen@scalabrini.org.za. Please include your full name (as per your passport), your passport number and, if applicable, your ASP permit number too.

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Cape Town Angola Special Permit Update

Angola Special Permit update

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This instruction video guides Angolan nationals on how to apply for the Angolan Exemption Permit (AEP), following the announcement by the Department of Home Affairs regarding the AEP permit on 5 August 2021

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Who can apply for the Angolan Exemption Permit? 

  1. Angolans who were issued with the Angolan Cessation Permit (ACP) but did not apply for the Angolan Special permit (ASP).
  2. Angolans who were issued with the Angolan Special permit (ASP).
  3. All Angolan refugees or asylum seekers who were issued with Section 24 or Section 22 permits before 31 August 2013, this being the date when the Tripartite Commission Agreement was signed marking the end of the Civil War in Angola.

What are the requirements for application? 

  1. Angolan passport valid for more than 12 months on date of application.
  2. Proof of Refugee/Asylum Seeker Permit issued before 31 August 2013
  3. Copy of Angolan Cessation Permit (ACP) or Angolan Special permit (ASP)

Do I need to pay an application fee for the Angolan Exemption Permit? 

Yes, the Visa Facilitation Services (VFS) processing fee is R1 090. This is a requirement for the processing of your application and is NOT negotiable. Applicants under the ACP and ASP dispensation were not required to pay application fees. However, the Angolan Exemption Permit comes with rights of residency, which attract a fee for the processing. Clients who intend to apply for permits for their spouses and children must take note of the application fees requirement.

Is there an expiry date to these permits as was the case with the ACP and ASP?

The Angolan Exemption Permits will be issued with permanent residency and will not have an expiry date. The Minister of Home Affairs has in the past granted the rights of permanent residency for a specified period of time. This time around, permanent residency will be granted indefinitely which will allow permit holders when granted to apply for identity documents.

Is there a closing date for applying for the Angolan Exemption Permits? 

The Department of Home Affairs has not indicated when applications will be closed. However, we advise clients to submit their applications timeously to avoid a rush, should Home Affairs announce a closing date at a later time.

Can spouses and children apply for the Angolan Exemption Permit? 

Spouses and children of the affected Angolan nationals will be allowed to apply for mainstream visas or permits after the main member has obtained his/her exemption permit.

  • The spouse of an individual who has been granted permanent residency can apply for a temporary spousal permit
  • Children of the permanent resident of school going age are eligible to apply for a study permit.
  • Children who are not yet in school are eligible to apply for a relative’s visa.

All of these applications can be made from within South Africa. This is a positive move as this waives the requirement for first time applications to be lodged from the country of origin. In the interim these spouses and children should apply for a valid passport.

How does one apply for the police clearance report?

A South African Police Report, will be obtained by the department on behalf of the applicant, and a fee must be paid for this report.

Please note that an additional R185.00 is required for the police clearance report. This fee is payable at the VFS offices and they do NOT accept cash payments.

Applicants must ensure that they have made provision for payment by card for this service.

How long after submission of the required documents will it take before permits are issued?

The turnaround time to issue the Angolan Exemption Certificate may take up to eight weeks. However, it may take longer than that and applicants can track the status of their applications on the VFS website.

Are we required to submit proof of employment or study as in previous years? 

The Angolan Exemption permit will be issued with rights of permanent residency and with that comes the right to work and study in South Africa. Supporting documentation for your application is explained in step 1 above.

Will Scalabrini be assisting with submission of  applications for the Angolan Exemption Permits?

Scalabrini is not able to assist with applications at this point.  However, we are planning to do a step-by-step tutorial guide on how to submit the online application on the VFS website.

 

What is the history behind the ASP permit?
Several ASP permit holders have asked for an explanation of the history behind ASP and how we got to this stage.
During the 1990s, thousands of Angolans sought refuge in the new democracy of South Africa, escaping a devastating civil war that continued for decades. This group of Angolans were granted temporary refugee status by the South African government which was renewed approximately every four years.

In 2012, the UNHCR recommended that, due to changes in Angola, States could cease refugee status for Angolans. Pursuant to this UNHCR recommendation, the South African government, the UNHCR and the government of Angola agreed that Angolan refugees living in South Africa no longer needed the protection of the South African government since the Angolan civil war had concluded and political stability had returned to Angola. In 2013, the South African government announced cessation and between May and August 2013, withdrew the refugee status of Angolan refugees.

The Angolan refugee community – which has integrated into South African society over the last twenty years – was deeply impacted by the possibility of forced return. A 2014 research report by the Scalabrini Centre identified the community’s deep levels of socioeconomic integration and The Cessation, a short documentary, traced the impact of the cessation process on three Angolan refugees living in Cape Town. Aside from the socioeconomic integration of the Angolan community, an entire generation of children born to Angolan parents have never set foot in Angola and know South Africa as their home.

The legal process for cessation involved the withdrawal of refugee status through the issuance of notification to the individual by the Standing Committee for Refugee Affairs, to which he or she may respond.

Angolan refugees who had their status withdrawn were provided with three options: voluntary repatriation to Angola, apply for continued refugee status, or apply for a temporary residency visa to remain in South Africa.

The large majority of affected Angolans applied for the temporary residency visa. This came to be known as the ACP permit: a two-year work, study or business permit which was issued under relaxed immigration rules valid from 2013 to 2015. According to the Department of Home Affairs, 2,049 ACP permits were issued in total.

As the expiry dates of the ACP permits neared, it became apparent that ACP permit holders could not extend their permits, due the strict Regulations of the Immigration Act. In May 2014, the Scalabrini Centre began discussions with Home Affairs to advocate for continued legal stay of ACP permit holders, under relaxed immigration conditions, based on their strong ties to South Africa.
The Scalabrini Centre asked Home Affairs to extend these permits or provide permanent residency. However, Home Affairs declined. In October 2015, the Scalabrini Centre submitted an application for permanent residency made on behalf of the entire category of ACP-permit holders. Home Affairs did not respond.

In November 2016, after a year of legal steps and negotiations, the Minister for Home Affairs agreed in an out of court settlement to consider and determine applications for permanent residence in terms of section 31(2)(b) of the Immigration Act for all ACP permit holders. The procedure for this application was set out in a Court Order by the Western Cape High Court.

The Court Order tasked the Scalabrini Centre with receiving permanent residency applications, and was bound to deliver these applications to Home Affairs on 15 February 2017. In December 2016, the Scalabrini Centre opened a receiving centre. This ran until 20 January 2017, at which point 1,776 Angolan applicants had come through its doors. In total, 1,241 permanent residency applications were received at the Scalabrini Centre.
Angolans in other South African cities sent their applications to the Scalabrini Centre via the Legal Resources Centre, Lawyers for Human Rights and the Refugee Rights Centre at Nelson Mandela University. This brought the total number of applications to 1,737.
Angolan ACP permit holders were asked to provide a variety of documents, including police clearance certificates, proof of work, bank statements and proof of integration into South African life. Some applicants submitted applications that were hundreds of pages long, documenting two decades of lives and the Angolan community's contribution to democratic South Africa.
These applications – bound in 160 files comprising of an estimated 80,000 pages – were delivered to Home Affairs on 15, 16 and 17 February 2017. It took three days to process receipts for the lodgment of these applications.

The Court Order stipulated that the Minister of Home Affairs must issue individual decisions for each applicant by 15 May 2017. An extension was agreed upon and in July 2017, the Minister of Home Affairs decided to grant conditional rights of permanent residency to the entire class, for a period of four years. Conditions included that applicants must submit photos, biometrics, police clearance certificates and supporting documents via VFS. Applicants had until 15 December 2017 to provide the necessary documentation to VFS.

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Reflections on migration : Lea

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The team at The Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town (SCCT) works with people who are migrants and refugees every day. With such deep expertise at hand, we take the opportunity to reflect on migration with them. This month we speak to Lea Liekefedt, who spent six months volunteering with Women’s Platform

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Growing up in a multi-cultural part of Germany and hearing stories about her grandmother being a refugee of war, Lea has always had an acute awareness of migration. At university, Lea studied political science and focused her research on the shortcomings of migration policies in Europe. It was during this time that Lea developed a critical stance on Europe’s existing migration policies.

Whilst volunteering at the ‘jungles’ in Calais, France, Lea realised that she wanted to “put theory into practice and support women on the ground. They [women] are the most vulnerable to suffer from the consequences of involuntary migration and inadequate gender policies.” Lea has seen this to be true in Europe and South Africa. “There is a lot of rhetoric, but it is not practical.”

Volunteering with Women’s Platform allowed Lea to work directly with and learn from women on the move. “There are so many struggles that these women go through and the pandemic has put them into an even more vulnerable state.”

Women’s Platform acted quickly to adapt their programme, to ensure they could still support women in their network during South Africa’s lockdown. “Sometimes we were not able to reach everyone, even with all the effort that was put in,” explains Lea when talking about the challenges that Women’s Platform faced. “We know they [the women] are there and need support, but getting the access to them during the pandemic could sometimes be difficult due to internet connection for instance.” She also notes that even with these difficulties, “the women are experts at survival” and many were able to connect and build communities around them even during the isolating times.

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The Women’s Platform team are motivated by the women themselves – their stories, their drive and their resilience. “They bring so much light and joy, despite the hardships that they face…We are able to relate on womanhood even though we all come from very different backgrounds.”

On finishing her placement with Women’s Platform, Lea has left South Africa feeling inspired by the women she was working with. For example, Lea met women in their 40’s focusing on starting their education again or starting new jobs. “As a young woman myself, it’s inspiring to see that.”

Lea has witnessed women within the platform who were once shy and timid, become confident community leaders. She emphasises that taking care of women’s needs and promoting independence paves the way to sustainable development in society. “When we focus on the stories told by those most affected by inequalities, we can have sustainable development and better policies.”

Lea supports governments’ development policy that recognises women as the fabric of society. “They bear the burden of supporting families and they carry the experiences of their families – there need to be more safe spaces for women and more support. This includes women who are originally from South Africa and women who are not.”

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“Migration is part of our global history.” Drawing from her own personal experiences and from what she has learnt at SCCT, Lea has seen that migration across the world is inevitable. She believes that seeing migration as an opportunity and allowing skilled women from other countries to work in their professions would benefit the South African economy. “I noticed that there is such a bureaucratic burden for women who are highly skilled to get access to jobs because of immigration and documentation issues.”

Within the Women’s Platform, Lea has met a woman who got her education in South Africa and has qualified as a teacher, but is unable to work due to her documentation. “Great teachers are needed everywhere, especially female teachers who introduce students to new cultures.” She has met many women within the platform who want to be active in and beneficial to South African communities. There are nurses from DRC who aim to educate people on HIV/AIDS and other women who run their own schemes to feed the homeless. “That’s what’s important about Women’s Platform. It’s a journey. During the journey, the women get a sense of community, but also a sense of responsibility to society.”

Lea is about to start her Masters in Development Studies. “With the work at Scalabrini and supporting the Women’s Platform, I hope to play a little role in re-establishing a sense of fairness and opportunity in a practical way.”

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International Youth Day Reflections with UNITE

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Diana and Mtheza have worked closely with the UNITE Youth. Drawing from their own experience and from speaking to the UNITE Youth, they take this opportunity to reflect on International Youth Day.  

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One of the biggest issues that have come up in the UNITE discussions, is that the youth want equal access to opportunities. The Olympics taking place has highlighted this for the students – they are seeing sports that they have previously never been exposed to. 

Diana: “How can we include all youth in South Africa to be able to reach their highest potential? They [the youth] want good leadership – leadership that they can look up to, out there for the people, listening to their needs, taking steps and actions to better the lives of people living in South Africa.” 

Mtheza : “I would like to see South Africa catering equally to everyone. I wish the gap between the rich and the poor could be bridged…We need to teach people not to only think for now, but for the future as well.”   

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UNITE focuses on provoking critical thinking and activism in youth – nurturing future leaders.  

Mtheza: “Parents are noticing that their children are starting to question things. They are saying “yes, I am young, but I have a voice”. The parents are feeling very positive about this.”  

Diana: “The conversations they are having with their parents are starting bigger conversations. They [the youth] want to see change. I’m pretty confident and I hope that the learnings and teachings that they’re getting from the programme means we have an amazing chance to find leaders who stand up for what is right and that do the right thing. Because that is what they want.” 

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Mtheza: “We have kids coming from different countries and different cultures. I was working only with South African kids before UNITE. The UNITE Youth have taught me to understand other cultures better.  

Diana: “This year, we spoke about culture and the intersectionality of people. The people that we’ve got in the programme are kids from South Africa. We also have some non-South African kids, kids that are part of the LGBTQI community, Xhosa kids and Zulu’s. I’m from Ghana, Mtheza is Xhosa. So, there’s lots of different perspectives that they are exposed to. They are able to embrace each other and they have become a little family… We encourage the leaders to lead the conversations that take place in their schools. There is quite a big focus on peer led conversations. Sometimes you find that the topics are better received when it’s coming from someone that is more relatable to them. It hits different when it’s their friends pushing a message.” 

Mtheza: “They study identity, diversity and integration. These topics encourage the kids to promote intercultural understanding… The whole basis of the programme is to talk about these issues. At the core of the programme we promote integration through discussions and encouraging them to be activists and not to keep the discussions within the programme, but to go out and talk to their peers and talk to their community about these issues.” 

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Woman here, woman there

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Two women from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola describe women’s rights and realities in their home country compared with their experiences in South Africa. 

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More and more women are migrating. Research shows that the number of women migrating to South Africa has quadrupled since 1990. From available statistics, we can deduce that there are roughly 1.7 million women who have migrated to South Africa. Women who migrate are faced with added barriers to documentation and services – and are more likely to face challenges finding work. These issues are recognized by the international community and have resulted in various efforts to address this – such as the Sustainable Development Goals working towards gender equality and the ending of all forms of discrimination against women and girls.  

Several international legal frameworks exist specifically to protect and uplift women in the African context. For example, in 2003, the African Union adopted the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Women in AfricaStates undertook to ‘combat all forms of discrimination against women through appropriate legislative, institutional and other measures’, as well as providing educational measures, laws and action to end such discrimination. 

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The Women’s Platform at the Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town brings together women through training and development programmes. The platform works with women who have migrated to South Africa from all corners of Africa. 

Mary (not her real name) came to South Africa when she was 11 years old. She remembers fleeing the war in Angola with her family when ‘one day, a tank rolled into our yard. The soldiers just bent the burglar bars at the window and raided our house.’  She has lived in South Africa several decades and considers herself African above all else. ‘When people ask me, I say that I am an African who just resides in South Africa,’ she explains. ‘I tell them to go back to their family tree and they will see that we are all a mix and inter-related somehow. Self-identity is defined by who you are simply as a person.’ 

Nadia (not her real name) fled the war zone in the Democratic Republic of Congo and sought safety in South Africa. Building up a life in South Africa has been very difficult. She is undertaking courses with the Women’s Platform in a hope of finding work. 

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Mary’s mother – who has vivid memories of life in Angola – forms much of Mary’s ability to compare realities for women in South Africa and Angola.  

“My mum has a motto,” explains Mary. “She says, ‘when you are in the country where everyone is dancing on one leg, you do the same’. The rhythm of South Africa is that there are women’s rights.” Indeed, the need and ability of women to make business in South Africa is an important comparative point for Mary. “In your home country, you can relax a bit more as you have family around. Here in South Africa, you need to have a purpose as a woman; you must push and make a living. Men cannot decide where you live or what work you do.” 

Inspired by her mother’s tenacious approach to business, Mary is using her learnings and experiences at Women’s Platform to become a ‘humble leader’ and seek opportunities to empower other entrepreneurial women. 

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Nadia echoes Mary’s recognition of wider women’s rights in South Africa – but also sees that in reality, this is limited. “South Africa values and promotes women’s rights, but in reality, it is difficult as I don’t feel like a citizen.” The barriers faced as a non-citizen in South Africa make it difficult to compare access to rights back home. Within her own family life, however, the woman’s role has changed since being in South Africa. “Back home, women have no say in front of men,” she reflects. “There are even certain foods that women cannot eat, for example. Here, I have freedom of speech. It is totally different in Congo DRC. When you want to raise your voice as a woman in Congo DRC, they will give you names.” 

However, there are many similar struggles faced by women in both places that Nadia has lived. Violence against women in DRC and South Africa, although different in its nature and context, is a threat and danger that has followed Nadia during her migration.  

Nadia is keen to see women speak out about gender-based violence. She notices that even the Congolese community in South Africa speak privately about the violence they face but are scared to speak publicly. “My biggest message to tell women across Africa is not to fear. We need to come together and stand up to these fears that we have as women.” 

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