Zimbabwean Exemption Permit Litigation
5 September 2023
The Helen Suzman Foundation needs to expose a scandalous falsehood being put out by a shadowy organisation calling itself Put South Africa First.
These are the facts:
Two months ago the HSF obtained an order from the Gauteng High Court setting aside the Minister of Home Affairs' decision to end the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit system (ZEP), which allows Zimbabwean permit-holders to reside in South Africa. It goes without saying that the basis of the order was that the Minister’s decision was unlawful. A condition of the order was to extend the ZEP for twelve months.
The Minister is now applying for leave to appeal and, if leave is granted, that will automatically suspend the order. In order to preserve the protection the Court granted to the permit-holders, HSF asked the Minister to agree that the extended expiry date of the ZEP will not run out during the appeal process.