Government challenged in court over termination of Zim special permits
South Africa -Pretoria - The Helen Suzman Foundation (HSF) said its legal action challenging the minister of home affairs on the Cabinet decision to terminate the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit (ZEP) was triggered by the “unfairness” in the process followed by Pretoria authorities.
“These are individuals who have been in South Africa lawfully for over a decade. The permits have been renewed every three to four years amounting to a decade. The position of the HSF is not that the Zimbabwe exemption permits should be renewed in perpetuity but the decision, when it came from the minister last year that these permits would be terminated, it was with very little notice and no consultation with those who would bear the most prejudicial impact of the decision,” Nicole Fritz, chief executive of the Helen Suzman Foundation told broadcaster eNCA.
“There has been various organisations engaging with the minister, attempting to persuade him to change his stance and that has not come to any sort of fruitful conclusion. We are going to court to say the manner in which this decision was made without consultation, and very little notification provides no procedure of fairness to these individuals.”
The foundation had already filed court papers, challenging the termination of the special permits.
The Zimbabwe Exemption Permits (ZEP), which ended on December 31 2021, will not be extended. Those with a permit have a 12-month grace period to either apply for another type of permit or leave the country. Cabinet supported (Home Affairs Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi’s decision.
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