by TINTSWALO BALOYI
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – THE South African government has extended the validity of the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit (ZEP) to May 2027.
This is a relief to thousands of Zimbabweans whose permits were set to lapse on November 28, 2025.
They have been extended to May 28, 2027 giving holders more time to move to alternative visas.
Leon Schreiber, Minister of Home Affairs, announced the extension of the permits on Tuesday, which means Zimbabwean holders of the document retain their legal status in the neighbouring country.
Home Affairs is battling a backlog of ZEP and other permit applications.
Schreiber said the Immigration Advisory Board (IAB), appointed in April this year, had met and decided on the extension.
The permits were first introduced in 2009 as South Africa battled a surge of Zimbabwean nationals embattled by the economic and political problems in their country.
Around 180 000 are ZEP holders, far less than the estimated number of Zimbabweans in South Africa, said to be between 1 million and 3 million.
– CAJ News