Zimbabweans living in South Africa are intensifying calls for a permanent immigration solution as public consultations on the future of the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit (ZEP) draw to a close, arguing that years of permit renewals have created expectations of long-term security that cannot be addressed through temporary measures.
Speaking during a public consultation meeting convened by South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs in Polokwane, Limpopo, on Wednesday, Secretary of the African Diaspora Forum (ADF) and chairperson of the Zimbabwe Community in South Africa, Ngqabutho Nicholas Mabhena, said that while permit holders accepted that the special dispensation could not continue indefinitely, the government needed to provide a lasting solution for affected migrants.
“We all agree it is unsustainable to continue with this special arrangement,” Mabhena told the meeting.
He said Zimbabweans understood the circumstances under which the original Dispensation of Zimbabweans Project (DZP) permits were introduced between 2009 and 2010 and acknowledged the government’s right to discontinue them.
On this topic
“If the Minister had the power in 2010 to grant Zimbabweans special permits, and later extended similar arrangements to the people of Lesotho in 2014, we would not contest the Minister’s decision to use those same powers, as provided for in the Act, to end the special permit system,” he said.
However, Mabhena argued that the current policy direction, which encourages permit holders to transition to mainstream visas, does not adequately address concerns about their long-term legal status.
“Our humble request is for a permanent solution,” he said.
Read: https://cite.org.zw/zep-holders-decry-detentions-and-legal-uncertainty/
While permit holders have been granted waivers to facilitate their transition to mainstream visas, Mabhena expressed concern that such arrangements may only provide temporary relief.
“We are worried that after four years or so, the waivers will no longer be available, leaving people without a legal basis to remain in the Republic of South Africa,” he said.
The consultations, which end on 18 June 2026, come against the backdrop of South Africa’s latest position on the ZEP, which allows permit holders to remain in the country until 29 May 2027 while the government reviews the policy and considers submissions from stakeholders and the public.
The ZEP system traces its origins to the aftermath of Zimbabwe’s economic and political crisis in the late 2000s, which drove thousands of Zimbabweans to neighbouring South Africa in search of employment and safety.
Mabhena acknowledged that conditions in Zimbabwe had improved significantly since the peak of the crisis.
“Let me state this: we all agree that the economy in Zimbabwe has improved from what it was in 2008. It’s a fact that we cannot run away from,” he said.
He noted that by the time applications for the original permit scheme opened in October 2010, Zimbabwe had already adopted a multi-currency system and basic commodities had returned to shop shelves.
According to Mabhena, permit holders initially understood that the programme was temporary, particularly because permit stickers explicitly stated that they would not be renewed.
However, subsequent renewals in 2014, 2017 and later years altered those perceptions.
“One understands the temporary nature of the permit up to 2014, but when it was renewed repeatedly, it created an expectation of permanence,” he said.
“So it is not a question of permit holders expecting too much. Rather, it is a request to recognise that, given the circumstances that prevailed over the last 11 years until the Minister decided to discontinue the permits, a permanent solution is the logical answer.”
Mabhena drew parallels with South Africa’s quota permit system, introduced in 2002 and operationalised in 2007, under which approximately 35,000 permits were issued to skilled migrants.
Those permit holders were later required to transition to critical skills visas. While some successfully obtained long-term legal status, others failed to meet the requirements and lost their legal standing.
He warned that many ZEP holders, particularly low-income workers such as domestic workers, could face similar challenges if they are required to migrate through conventional visa pathways.
“If a domestic worker who currently holds a ZEP or LEP is assisted to move onto a mainstream visa, after four years they will face the points-based system, and we do not believe many will qualify,” Mabhena said.
“Hence our humble request is that the Department of Home Affairs determines whether the mainstream visa route is truly a long-term solution, and if so, which category it intends to extend to permit holders.”
The South African government launched the consultation process to gather views on the future of both the Zimbabwean and Lesotho exemption permit regimes.
The consultations are expected to culminate in a National Consultation Workshop scheduled for 18 June 2026 in Gauteng.
The workshop will bring together civil society organisations, ZEP litigants, representatives from the Zimbabwean and Lesotho embassies, international organisations including the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), and Chapter 9 institutions.
According to the Department of Home Affairs, stakeholder submissions and public input gathered during the consultations will be used to formulate a comprehensive policy position on both permit systems. A detailed report containing recommendations is expected to be submitted to Cabinet before the end of the 2026/27 financial year.
The outcome of the process could determine whether Zimbabweans who have lived, worked and raised families in South Africa for decades gain access to a durable immigration solution or continue navigating a cycle of temporary arrangements.
Meanwhile, Mabhena also conveyed condolences following the death of Ndebele King Makhosonke II, describing the monarch as a leader whose influence extended beyond South Africa’s borders.
“King Makhosonke II was not just a South African king,” Mabhena said.
“I stand here as his subject. Since his first visit to Zimbabwe in 1996, we have worked closely together. We were meant to meet him next week in KwaMhlanga. Unfortunately, he has passed on. Our condolences to the people of South Africa and the Ndebele Nation.”
King Makhosonke II, 65, died on Tuesday after reigning for 40 years.
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