The Zimbabwe Immigration Federation (ZIF) says those who are unhappy with the court ruling on Zimbabwe Exemption Permit (ZEP) are xenophobic.
The Gauteng High Court has declared Home Affairs Minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi’s decision to terminate the ZEPs, saying it was unlawful, unconstitutional and invalid.
The court also granted ZIF an interim interdict preventing ZEP holders from being arrested or deported for now.
This has sparked mixed reactions from South Africans with some expressing unhappiness with the ruling.
ZIF Chairperson, Luke Dzvti says Zimbabweans are not the only immigrants in the country.
“Operation Dudula is only fighting us and other organisations. They are not doing the same thing to Indians, Angolans and no one is saying anything about the Lesotho exemption permits which is also ending. They are just quiet you know. So, it’s quite wrong to chase away, especially kids. A lot of kids were born here before or around year 2000 or a bit earlier and the only place they know as home is South Africa. It will be wrong to remove a child back to Zimbabwe when he/she is supposed to be a citizen by birth.”
Zimbabwe Ambassador to South Africa, David Hamadziripi has also welcomed the high court ruling in favour of Zimbabwean permit holders.
Reaction to court’s ruling on Zimbabwean Exemption Permits: Luke Dzviti
Meanwhile, Motsoaledi says he is studying the two judgments delivered by a full bench in the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria.
The minister suffered two losses in the legal challenge to the termination of the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit.
Three applications were launched against him in April by the Helen Suzman Foundation, the Zimbabwean Immigration Federation (ZIF) and the ZEP holders Association.
In the first application of the Helen Suzman Foundation, the court ruled in the NGO’s favour declared the Minister’s December 2021 decision to terminate the ZEP unlawful, unconstitutional and invalid.
In the second application by the ZIF, the court also ruled in the Federation’s favour and granted it an interim interdict (pending outcome of part b of its main application) which restrains government from detaining or deporting any holder of a ZEP.
The Home Affairs Minister, in a brief statement, says he is taking legal advice on the judgments and will respond in due course.
