Zimbabwe Permits: South African Minister to Appeal Court Decision

South Africa’s Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi will appeal a decision by three judges sitting as a full bench in the Pretoria High Court, who ruled that his decision to terminate the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit programme was unlawful, unconstitutional and invalid.

The judges directed the minister to reconsider the issue “following a fair process” that complies with the relevant laws. Pending the outcome of that process, the permits will remain valid for another 12 months (until the end of June 2024), and ZEP-holders have protection from arrest and deportation.

The case was brought by the Helen Suzman Foundation and the Consortium for Refugees and Migrants in South Africa after the minister announced the end of the programme in 2021.