South Africa’s Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has extended the validity of exemption permits issued to Zimbabwean nationals which were expiring on 30 June 2023.
The Zimbabwean Exemption Permits (ZEP) have been extended for a further period of 6 months, ending on 31 December 2023.
Motsoaledi has since directed the country’s Border Management Authority, Provincial Offices, Regional and District Offices, Immigration Officers: Port Control, Immigration Officers: Inspectorate, Permitting Sections, and Civic Centres to adhere to the extensions of the permit.
He said holders of valid exemption permits should not be arrested, ordered to leave South Africa or be detained for purposes of deportation for not having permit stickers or labels on their passports. Reads the order:
MINISTER’S IMMIGRATION DIRECTIVE NO 2 OF 2023
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DECISION NOT TO EXTEND ZIMBABWEAN NATIONALS’ EXEMPTIONS GRANTED IN TERMS OF SECTION 31(2)(b), READ WITH SECTION 31(2)(d) OF THE IMMIGRATION ACT 13 OF 2002
I, Dr PA Motsoaledi, MP, Minister of Home Affairs having, with the powers bestowed upon me in terms of section 31(2)(b), read with section 31(2)(d) of the Immigration Act, decided to extend the validity of Zimbabwean exemption permits issued to Zimbabwean nationals for a further period of 6 months in order to allow the holders thereof to apply for one or other visas and waivers provided for in the Immigration Act, (read with Immigration Regulations, 2014) that they may qualify for, hereby direct that this decision should be implemented as follows, during the further 6 months’ period, starting from 30 June 2023 and ending 31 December 2023:
1. No holder of a valid exemption permit may be arrested, ordered to depart or be detained for purposes of deportation or deported in terms of the section 34 of the Immigration Act for any reason related to him or her not having any valid exemption certificate (i.e. permit label/sticker) in his or her passport. The holder of a valid exemption permit may not be dealt with in terms of sections 29, 30 and 32 of the Immigration Act.
2. The holder of a valid exemption permit may be allowed to enter into or depart from the Republic of South Africa in terms of section 9 of the Act, read together with the Immigration Regulations, 2014, provided that he or she complies with all other requirements for entry into and departure from the Republic, save for the reason of having an expired exemption permit indicated in his or her passport; and
3. No holder of exemption should be required to produce-
(a) a valid exemption certificate/permit;
(b) an authorisation letter to remain in the Republic contemplated in section 32
(2) of the Immigration Act when making an application for any category of visas, including temporary residence visas.
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