REPRIEVE FOR ZIM PERMIT HOLDERS

South Africahas extended the deadline for Zimbabwe Exemption Permit (ZEP) holders and othervisa applicants whose documents expired at the end of March, citing delays inprocessing applications.The newdeadline, now set for 30 September, provides temporary relief for thousands ofZimbabweans who have been left in limbo as authorities work through a backlogof visa and permit applications.

The newdeadline, now set for 30 September, provides temporary relief for thousands ofZimbabweans who have been left in limbo as authorities work through a backlogof visa and permit applications. Home AffairsMinister Dr Leon Schreiber announced the extension on Tuesday under ImmigrationDirective Number 4 of 2025. He acknowledged that despite efforts to clearoutstanding applications, many remain unprocessed due to administrative delays.

“The Departmentof Home Affairs has been working to resolve the backlog in its visa andpermitting system. However, many applications will not be ready for collectionbefore the 31 March deadline due to delays in printing and processing,”Schreiber said. The decision isparticularly significant for Zimbabweans on the ZEP, a special dispensationpermit that has been in place since 2009.

Originally introduced as theDispensation of Zimbabweans Project (DZP), it was later restructured into theZimbabwe Special Permit (ZSP) in 2014 and the current ZEP in 2017. The ZEP hasprovided a legal pathway for Zimbabweans who moved to South Africa, but itsfuture remains uncertain. The South African government has indicated plans tophase out exemption permits, urging Zimbabweans to apply for mainstream visasor consider returning home.

Around 178,000Zimbabweans were eligible to apply for new exemption permits, which are set toexpire at the end of November. However, processing delays have left manywaiting for clarity on their legal status. Under thelatest directive, ZEP holders and other affected visa applicants will not bedeclared undesirable if they choose to leave South Africa before 30 September.

Those awaiting the outcome of waiver applications can travel in and out of thecountry without penalty until then. However,non-visa-exempt individuals with pending waiver applications must apply for aport of entry visa before re-entering South Africa. The directive also appliesto long-term visa applicants but does not cover those awaiting permanentresidence decisions.

Only foreignnationals who have legally entered South Africa and submitted theirapplications via VFS Global, with verifiable proof of submission, will qualifyfor this concession. CITE.