The application by the Helen Suzman Foundation challenging the legality of the Minister of Home Affairs, Aaron Motsoaledi’s decision to scrap the Zimbabwe Exemption Permits will be heard by a full bench next year in the North Gauteng High Court next year.
Earlier this year, the Home Affairs Department extended the validity of ZEP by 6 months to 30 June next year.
The application challenging the legality of scraping the ZEPs was scheduled to be heard in court on Monday.
“The Helen Suzman Foundation had hoped that its application challenging the Minister of Home Affairs Decisions to end the Zimbabwe Exception permits would be heard this month in November.
“But in a court management meeting last week the court determined that the matter would be heard in April next year. This is when it could set the matter down for hearing by a three-panel bench,” said Nicole Fritz Director of the Foundation.
The Zimbabwe Immigration Federation is an applicant and it seeks “to interdict and restrain from arresting, issuing an order for deportation or detaining any holder of the Zimbabwe Exemption Permits(ZEP) for the purpose of deportation in terms of section 34 of the Immigration Act 13 of 2020 for any reason related to him of her not having any valid exemption certificate in his or her passport”.
The Zimbabwe Immigration Federation also wants the ZEP holder to be allowed to enter into or depart from the Republic of South Africa in terms Immigration Act.
“The holder of ZEP may be allowed to enter into or depart from the Republic of South Africa in terms section 9 of the Act, read together with the Immigration Regulation 2014, provided that he or she complies with all other requirements for entry into and departure from the Republic, save for reason of not having valid permit indicated in his or her passport,” said the Zimbabwe Immigration Federation in court papers. The matter is scheduled to be heard next year.
