South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Njabulo Nzuza, has urged Zimbabwean nationals holding Zimbabwe Exemption Permits (ZEPs) to apply for permanent residency or alternative visas if they wish to remain in the country.
Speaking during an interview on Newzroom Afrika on Monday, Nzuza said the ZEP programme was never intended to provide a permanent immigration solution and that beneficiaries must now regularise their stay through existing legal channels.
“Well, the Zimbabwean exemption permits, as the words say, were special permits that were issued to Zimbabweans under certain conditions that were there,” Nzuza said.
“We have been renewing it over time, and even right now, we have been making a call that all those who are in that particular exemption permit should be looking at other legal pathways in which they apply for permanent residency or any other form.”
He said applications for permanent residency or other visas would be assessed on merit, stressing that there would be no blanket granting of residency to ZEP holders.
“Each and every person must apply, and then we’ll determine if they qualify,” he said.
Nzuza also encouraged affected individuals to consider options such as work, business, study or critical skills visas, noting that South Africa has established legal frameworks for economic migrants seeking long-term stay.
The ZEP programme, introduced in 2009 to regularise the stay of Zimbabweans who fled economic and political challenges, has been renewed multiple times over the years.
Authorities maintain that the permits were designed as a temporary intervention rather than a pathway to permanent residence.
In October 2025, Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber announced an 18-month extension of ZEPs until May 28, 2027, through Immigration Directive No. 21 of 2025 issued under the Immigration Act.
The extension followed a directive by the Gauteng High Court requiring broader consultation on the future of the programme.
During this period, ZEP holders are protected from arrest, detention or deportation linked to the validity of their permits and are allowed to travel and apply for alternative visas without needing a valid exemption endorsement in their passports.
However, the system has drawn criticism from some legal experts and advocates.
Simba Chitando, a lawyer who has been representing ZEP holders in courts, described the conditions faced by ZEP holders as akin to “modern-day slavery,” arguing that the absence of a clear pathway to permanent residency has left many migrants in prolonged legal and economic uncertainty.
Chitando said many Zimbabweans have lived and worked in South Africa for decades without access to rights typically afforded to long-term residents, including the ability to secure loans, mortgages or stable financial services.
He noted that some financial institutions have closed accounts belonging to ZEP holders due to documentation challenges, further limiting their participation in the formal economy.
The lack of permanent residency options, he argued, has left many migrants dependent on repeated short-term extensions, preventing long-term planning and asset accumulation.
South Africa is estimated to host more than one million Zimbabwean nationals, many of whom have relied on the ZEP programme to live and work in the country.
