ZEPs: Govt Assisting Zimbabweans To Secure Required Documents For Legal Stay In South Africa
The Zimbabwean government has said it is assisting Zimbabweans holding on to the expired Zimbabwean Exemption Permits (ZEP) to secure the required documents for their legal stay in South Africa.
The ZEP facility was set to expire at the end of this year but South Africa extended the deadline to the end of June next year.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was engaging South Africa for the regularisation of the Zimbabweans’ stay in that country.
It also said it was pushing for the establishment of measures that would facilitate easy movement of citizens when the 30 June 2023 deadline comes into effect. Reads the statement:
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is assisting Zimbabwean citizens to secure the required documents for their legal stay in South Africa. The ministry has also been engaging with counterparts in South Africa to ensure that information is timeously given to Zimbabwean nationals regarding their status.
The ZEP case is in South African courts where human rights lawyers are challenging the Home Affairs’ decision to terminate the facility.
They also want the South African government to allow Zimbabweans access to their bank accounts and schools arguing that they were within the extended grace period.
Human rights lawyer Advocate Simba Chitando who is representing the ZEP Holders Association told The Sunday News that he recently received communication from the permit holders that they needed to provide valid documents in order to transact in the banks.
