Zimbabweans living in South Africa under the Zimbabwe Exemption Permits (ZEP) are facing mounting difficulties with banks, employment benefits and transport-related services as uncertainty over the future of the permits persists, the Zimbabwe Community in South Africa has said.
The community is now eagerly awaiting a draft report on the future of the ZEP and Lesotho Exemption Permits (LEP), which was initially expected to be released in September following a nationwide consultation process.
Ngqabutho Nicholas Mabhena, Chairperson of the Zimbabwe Community in South Africa, said the draft report was now expected in October and would subsequently be taken to the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) for further consultation.
NEDLAC is South Africa’s statutory body for social dialogue that brings together government, labour, business, and community organisations to negotiate and build consensus on socio-economic and labor policies.
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“It’s 29 September 2026. We had previously said the draft report on the future of the Zimbabwe Exemption Permits and Lesotho Exemption Permits was going to be made available in September,” Mabhena said during an update and discussion on the ZEP.
“This was based on information communicated to us during the consultations, which started in the Free State, Bloemfontein, on 23 April 2026 and concluded on 30 June 2026.”
South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs conducted consultations with ZEP and LEP holders, civil society, business and other stakeholders as part of a process to determine the future of the two permits.
The department said the consultations would inform a policy position and that a detailed report with recommendations would be submitted to their Cabinet by the end of the 2026/27 financial year.
The outcome of the consultation process could determine whether thousands of migrants remain on a special permit system, transition to other immigration categories or receive a more permanent form of legal status.
Mabhena said the community expected the draft report to be taken to NEDLAC, where government, business and organised labour would consider the proposals.
“We hope NEDLAC will support what we are raising. It’s not going to be easy, though, but we hope they are going to support a permanent solution to these visas,” he said.
The call for a permanent solution has been a consistent position of the Zimbabwean community during the consultation process.
Mabhena has previously argued that years of residence and economic participation in South Africa make continued reliance on temporary permits increasingly difficult for affected Zimbabweans.
While the policy process continues, Mabhena said ZEP and LEP holders were already experiencing practical difficulties in their daily lives.
Read: https://cite.org.zw/zep-
He said some permit holders were facing pressure from banks over expired documentation, while others were struggling with access to benefits and services linked to employment.
Some Zimbabweans who applied in 2024 for a one-year exemption document are now facing difficulties because those documents have expired, he said.
“When they go to the bank, they produce that A4 document that expired in 2025. They are told by their banks that it expired and need something valid,” Mabhena said.
He said some people had subsequently been forced to seek waivers after banks froze their accounts.
The situation, he argued, illustrates the complications created when ZEP holders move into mainstream visa categories.
“Even if you have applied for a waiver, your general working visa, you are still in the ZEP category. That is our argument,” he said.
South Africa has extended the validity of existing ZEPs until 29 May 2027, while the government has said there has been no change to the current status of the permits pending the consultation process.
Mabhena said the community was also assisting Zimbabwean workers who had allegedly had Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) contributions deducted from their salaries but were unable to access the benefits after losing their jobs.
He said the organisation had engaged lawyers to establish why some workers were not receiving UIF payments where there was evidence contributions had been deducted.
“It also happens that an employer will deduct UIF but not pay to the Labour Department that money. They just keep it for themselves,” he claimed.
Mabhena said the lawyers were collecting documentation from affected workers, including proof they had approached labour offices and evidence of deductions.
He cautioned workers not to expect an immediate resolution.
“So at this stage, they are doing that research. They are having contacts with the Department of Labour based on the forms that you completed for them to reach a decision whether it is necessary to go to court or not,” he said.
ZEP holders are also encountering problems with transport-related services, according to Mabhena.
He said some people had checked their details on the Department of Transport’s systems only to discover information was incomplete.
“We know when some of you went to the website of the Department of Transport, you checked whether you are listed and details there. Some of your details are there but some are not,” he said.
He said the problem was particularly affecting people who rely on driving for their livelihoods.
The chairperson said some applicants were referred to Home Affairs because transport authorities were reluctant to process documentation where a permit had less than a year before expiry.
“The Department of Transport will say they will not grant anything that is less than a year and the ZEP shows it is expiring in May next year,” Mabhena said.
He said the uncertainty was particularly problematic for those driving public transport.
Beyond the immediate future of ZEPs, Mabhena said the Zimbabwean community was continuing to advocate for a broader regional approach to migration.
He said the community remained interested in proposals contained in South Africa’s 2017 White Paper on International Migration, including possible SADC worker, cross-border and business visas.
“We are still working on that and have not received any feedback on what the thinking is,” he said.
Mabhena argued documenting migrants already living and working in South Africa would provide the government with greater oversight than repeated deportations.
“It is therefore in the interest of the South African government, in the interest of the employers, in the interest of migrant workers themselves, to be documented,” he said, stressing this proposal did not amount to calling for open borders, but rather for a system to manage migrants who are already in the country.
Meanwhile, Mabhena urged Zimbabweans and other migrants to exercise caution ahead of a planned demonstration on Wednesday, 30 September.
He said the community had engaged police and was encouraging businesses in areas considered potential hotspots to close early and only reopen once they were satisfied it was safe.
“We want everyone to be safe. We advise that you close early today around 4pm or 5pm. Don’t operate until 9pm or 10pm. It’s important that you are safe,” he said.
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