ZSP permit pending for too long & affecting lives

Hi, both i and my husband app**** for a zsp beginning and mid December consecutively. Our 3 yr old had a normal visa which was under our permits. We had to travel to Zimbabwe in March for our sisters' funeral and we could not take our child with as we were told she will be deemed undesirable ( so we had to leave her with a friend) coz it has expired. We can not apply for her permit renewal and my 10 yr niece's study permit application cannot be accepted because we dont have permits. <br> <br> Now we have to go back for a memorial service (end of June) and we dont know what to do abt our child and niece. our lives are practically at a stand still for the last 6 months. We have tried contacting the relevant authorities at DHA who are responsible for the zsp but we were told that the permits are at the printing stage since March. 6-8 weeks has turned into 6 months.By the time the permits come out they will only be used for 2yrs not 3yrs. PLEASE HELP CLARIFY WHY ITS TAKING THIS LONG. YOUR RESPONSE WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.