Mamelodi Sundowns attacker Gaston Sirino would be available should Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos want to use him at the next AFCON edition.
The Uruguay-born star is now a holder of a South African passport, just five years since he arrived in South Africa, a process that would have ordinarily taken 10 or more years.
The 32-year-old has subtly expressed interest in donning the South Africa national team jersey.
SN24 looks at how the club’s powerful bosses quietly untangled the red tape to have him get his citizenship.
SIRINO WOULD ONLY BE ELIGIBLE FOR PERMANENT RESIDENCE
This category of permit applies to foreign nationals residing in South Africa on the basis of their work permits for a minimum period of five years.
Sundowns unveiled Sirino on Wednesday, January 17, 2018, meaning he would have become eligible for permanent residence earlier this year.
SN24 called VFS Global, who handle applications for the Department of Home Affairs, and they revealed that “the expected turnaround time for an application is 8 to 24 months”.
The estimation is from the submission date. Assuming Gaston Sirino had gone the regular route and applied for Permanent Residence, it would only be ready towards the end of 2023.
WHEN WOULD GASTON SIRINO QUALIFY FOR NATURALISATION
Born in Montevideo, Uruguay’s capital and largest city, it would have taken Sirino another five years to be naturalised.
According to an immigration lawyer, getting naturalised in South Africa can take up to 15 years.
Of course, South African laws allow one to apply after five years of being a Permanent Resident.
“To become a South African citizen through naturalisation, you must first be a permanent resident of the country for five years,” the lawyer, who has handled thousands of applications, explained.
A criminal background check is required from SAPS and the applicant’s country of origin.
Thanks to Sundowns’ connections, the other hurdle Sirino would have effortlessly jumped is proof of language proficiency, usually a passed test certificate and a letter confirming acceptance of dual nationality.
A footballer who arrived in South Africa just after the turn of the millennium told SN24 that it took them 15 years to get naturalised.
“For me, it took almost 15 years to get my South African citizenship; it was quite a long process,” he said.
TENDAI MTAWARIRA’S STRUGGLES
From a sporting point of view, perhaps the best example is that of Zimbabwe-born former Springbok Tendai ‘Beast’ Mtawarira.
He arrived in the country to join the Natal Sharks as an 18-year-old teenager.
Mtawarira sparkled for his club and was rewarded with a Boks debut against Wales on 14 June 2008.
It must be noted that when he made the debut, he was not yet a Citizen of South Africa. He rose to become a key figure for the Springboks until the sports ministry put his international career on ice.
In a terse statement, they questioned the South African Rugby Union’s decision to field him as he was not a citizen of the country.
In his Biography, titled BEAST, he quotes a statement by SARU highlighting the challenges he faced before the intervention of Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, then Home Affairs Minister.
This was after he was ruled out of the Springboks’ first four Tests of 2010 against Wales, France and Italy due to the citizenship debacle.
“The decision to exclude him from selection was taken following advice from the Ministry of Sport reaffirming the government’s position that no foreign player can be selected to represent a national team,” read the statement.
In essence, if Gaston Sirino followed the normal Home Affairs process, he would receive his documents at the age of 37 or 38.
By then, he would probably be thinking of hanging his boots. His dream of playing for Bafana would have been an unattainable one.