South Africa Extends Work Permits To End Of Year For Zimbabweans

By John Ikani 

South African work exemption permits for Zimbabweans have been extended by 12 months until the end of this year.

Although the country’s Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi signed off the extension on 29 December, it was published in a Government notice on Friday.

The gazette states that no holder of the exemption can be arrested, detained or ordered to depart for not having a valid exemption permit, and may be permitted to enter into or depart from South Africa during this time period.

“During this period the holders of this permit should apply for other permits appropriate to their particular status or situation,” the gazette read in part.

“This decision was motivated by our desire to ensure eligible Zimbabweans can regularise their stay in SA.

“We appeal to the holders of this permit to use the 12 months to regularise their status in SA.”

What you should know

South Africa has a population of about 60 million, including approximately three million migrants, according to government statistics. Many are Zimbabweans driven south by two decades of politically linked violence and economic collapse. The majority are undocumented and do not hold a permit.

The Zimbabwean Exemption Permit was first introduced in 2009 by then-Home Affairs minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, as a temporary solution to a growing refugee crisis related to Zimbabwe.

While the dispensation was initially catering to a few thousand people, it quickly ballooned to over hundreds of thousands of individuals.

The latest extension entails that nearly 180 000 Zimbabweans who hold the permit, have been granted a further 12 months (until December 31 2022) to obtain other visas to legally remain in South Africa.