South Africa Extends ZEP Permits Expiry Deadline
The South African Minister of Home Affairs has extended the validity of Zimbabwean Exemption Permits (ZEP) for a further period of 6 months.
The permits were set to expire on 30 June 2023 and following the extension, are now valid until 31 December 2023.
A statement issued on 07 June 2023, by South Africa’s Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi reads:
PRESS STATEMENT ON THE ISSUING OF MINISTER’S IMMIGRATION DIRECTIVE NO: 2 OF 2023, EXTENDING THE VALIDITY OF THE EXEMPTION PERMITS ISSUED TO THE ZIMBABWEAN NATIONALS
1. As you are aware, the Minister of Home Affairs (Minister) issued a directive in September 2022, extending the validity of exemption permits issued to Zimbabwean nationals to 30 June 2023. Since that time, significant developments took place.
2. The Minister has approved thousands of waiver applications for the affected Zimbabwean nationals. This has resulted in a significant increase in the number of visa and waiver applications. The Departmental Advisory Committee (DAC) led by Dr Cassius Lubisi is now dealing with the increased number of visa applications.
The Minister is equally considering and approving waiver applications on a daily basis.
3. Unlike before since May/beginning of June 2023, VFS Global is now receiving between 1 000 – 1 500 visa and waiver applications of the affected Zimbabwean nationals daily. For these reasons, the Director-General has deployed more officials to assist in the processing of the applications.
4. The Minister took into consideration the said factors, including (to a certain extent) submissions received from the affected Zimbabwean nationals, relevant officials of the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) and other interested parties and decided to issue another Immigration Directive, extending the validity of Zimbabwean exemption permits for a further period of 6 months, ending on 31 December 2023. A copy of the Directive is annexed hereto marked “A”.
5. The Minister’s Immigration Directive no: 2 of 2023, will be published in the Extraordinary Government Gazette tomorrow on Thursday, 8 June 2023
6. The Minister calls upon all interested parties to take into consideration the said Directive in their decision-making processes.
The Minister will be addressing a letter to the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation requesting her to issue a note verbale to bring the Directive to the attention of His Excellency, the Ambassador of the Republic of Zimbabwe.
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