The Pretoria High Court in South Africa has ordered the country’s Home Affairs Minister to stop arrests and deportation of Zimbabweans with Exemption Permits (ZEPs).
According to South African TV station Newzroom Afrika, the court ruled that the ZEPs will remain valid for another 12 months until June 30, 2024. This will protect permit holders from arrest and deportation during this time.
Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi had previously extended the ZEPs by only six months to December 31. But the court declared Motsoaledi’s decision to terminate the permits as “irrational, invalid and unconstitutional.”
The court extended the permits for one year to allow holders time to apply for other visas available under South Africa’s Immigration Act.
There are over 170,000 Zimbabweans currently holding ZEPs.
