Zimbabweans in SA push for permanent solution to ZEP uncertainty

Zimbabweans living in South Africa under the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit (ZEP) are intensifying calls for a permanent immigration solution, urging their host government to end years of uncertainty that have left thousands unsure about their future. The appeals have come during a series of public consultations organised by South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs (DHA) across all provinces on the ZEP and Lesotho Exemption Permits, where affected communities are making submissions that could influence whether South Africa’s government reverses its earlier decision to terminate the permits or provide permanent residency. The current Home Affairs consultation process will run up to 5 June 2026.

South Africa’s latest position on ZEP allows permit holders to remain in the country until 29 May 2027, buying time for the government to review policy and consider public input. However, this latest decision offers no clarity on what happens thereafter. At a recent consultation meeting in Bloemfontein, representatives of the Zimbabwean community said the extension, though welcome, falls short of addressing long-standing concerns about stability, dignity and legal security.

Secretary of the African Diaspora Forum (ADF) and chairperson of the Zimbabwe Community in South Africa, Ngqabutho Nicholas Mabhena, said the community would be submitting formal proposals calling for a permanent framework that allows ZEP holders to live and work without recurring disruptions. “We are calling for a permanent solution to holders of the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit,” Mabhena said. “Our position is based on the understanding under which the programme was introduced and the realities that have unfolded over time.” Mabhena argued that when the permits were introduced in 2010, many Zimbabweans did not understand them to be strictly temporary, noting that this was not clearly communicated during initial engagements.

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“The first time many holders realised the permit was temporary was through a letter from the Director General of Home Affairs in December 2021,” he said. Mabhena cited statements made at the time by then Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, who described the programme as a mechanism to allow Zimbabweans to comply with immigration laws and live normal lives without fear of deportation.

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