The Helen Suzman Foundation (HSF) welcomes the decision of the Minister of Home Affairs’, Dr Leon Schreiber, to extend the validity of the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit (ZEP) and the Lesotho Exemption Permit (LEP) until 28 May 2027.
The Minister confirmed that the extension will ensure that current ZEP and LEP holders lawfully remain in South Africa while the Minister conducts fair country-wide consultations. This following from a 2023 Pretoria High Court ruling where HSF brought a matter challenging the legality of the previous Ministers decision to terminate the ZEP programme without prior notice or consultation with ZEP-holders and the public.
The Minister’s directive makes clear that ZEP and LEP holders cannot be arrested, detained, or deported under section 34 of the Immigration Act for reasons related to an invalid exemption certificate, holders may enter or depart South Africa in line with immigration regulations, and permit holders will not be required to produce a valid exemption certificate when applying for another visa category in terms of section 10(2) of the Immigration Act.
HSF welcomes this step as a necessary measure to provide legal certainty and continuity to over 178 000 ZEP and LEP holders who have lived and worked in South Africa for many years.
Invoking the values Helen Suzman fought for: simple justice, due process and protection of human rights, HSF calls for transparent, inclusive consultations that fully consider the needs of vulnerable ZEP and LEP holders and input from all other stakeholders are completed well before the new expiry date to prevent further cycles of uncertainty.
