December extension for Zimbabweans living in South Africa on exemption permits

A six-month extension has been granted for the expiry of the Zimbabwean Exemption Permits (ZEP) due to the high number of applications.

In 2023, the Johannesburg High Court set aside a decision by former minister, Aaron Motsoaledi, to terminate the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit regime and to reconsider his decision, following a fair process.
In 2023, the Johannesburg High Court set aside a decision by former minister, Aaron Motsoaledi, to terminate the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit regime and to reconsider his decision, following a fair process. (Trevor Samson)

Home affairs minister Aaron Motsoaledi has extended the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit which would have expired at the end of June to December 31.

This means Zimbabweans with the exemption permit can enter and leave the country provided they comply with all other requirements for crossing the border.

“No holder of exemption should be required to produce a valid exemption certificate/permit or an authorisation letter to remain in the republic ... when making an application for any category of the visas including temporary residence visa,” he said.

More home affairs officials have been deployed to assist in application processing as about 1,000 to 1,500 visa and waiver applications are being made daily by affected Zimbabweans.

This is a developing story

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