South Africa- Zimbabweans living under the Zimbabwe Exemption Permits (ZEPs) say their lives have become unbearable as uncertainty surrounding their legal status continues to intensify.
The Zimbabwe Exemption Permits Holders Association (ZEPHA), which represents affected Zimbabweans, has urged the Zimbabwean government to offer a voluntary return programme, citing the increasingly difficult conditions faced bymany of its members in South Africa.
The ZEP system, was meant to regularize the stay of Zimbabweans who had migrated to South Africa for economic and political reasons.
However, the South African government has since shifted its stance on ZEPs, repeatedly extending the permit deadlines while signaling an eventual termination.
This has left approximately 178,000 permit holders, including their dependent family members, in a state of limbo.
A memo sent by ZEPHA to Zimbabwe’s ambassador to South Africa, David Hamadziripi, and seen by MoneyWeb, highlights the dire situation facing ZEP holders. The memo states:
“Zimbabweans are now forced to litigate when they go to hospitals, schools, universities, travel on the roads, and at the workplace.”
As a result, ZEPHA has already initiated a repatriation programme to assist Zimbabweans willing to return home.
However, the association is calling for the Zimbabwean government’s support in easing the transition, including help withsecuring accommodation, business opportunities, and reducing regulatory barriers for returnees.
The memo further argues that while many South Africans recognize Zimbabweans as hardworking and trustworthy employees, their support does not extend to granting them full rights to live dignified lives.
It reads:
“Many South Africans believe that Zimbabweans are hapless ZANU-PF victims useful only for their highly sought-after cheap, efficient, and trustworthy labour. Their assistance for Zimbabwean staff extends only to prolonging exploitation, but not to provide Zimbabweans with the rights required to live full and dignified lives.”
According to ZEPHA, growing resentment towards Zimbabweans in South Africa has led to increased xenophobic violence.
The Black majority in South Africa largely blames Zimbabweans for taking jobs, housing, healthcare, and other economic opportunities, leading to the rise of vigilante groups that target Zimbabweans with robbery, assault, and even murder—often without consequences for the perpetrators.
Political parties such as the Patriotic Alliance, and ActionSA have been accused of fueling anti-Zimbabwean sentiment, while groups like Operation Dudula and Put South Africa First have actively led campaigns against Zimbabwean migrants.
The memo notes that such attacks intensify during elections and national crises, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing power outages.
On the other hand, South Africa’s white minority largely attributes Zimbabwe’s economic collapse to ZANU-PF’smismanagement.
The memo states:
“The white minority blames ZANU-PF for ruining the Zimbabwean economy and forcing its citizens to flee to SA to avoid poverty, political persecution, and maladministration. The mainstream media, which they control, have successfully sold the South African population the idea that Zimbabwe is a failed state that will never recover without them.”
ZEPHA argues that the abuse of Zimbabweans in South Africa has caused significant psychological and emotional distress within the community. Many Zimbabweans now live in constant fear of deportation, violence, and discrimination. The association maintains that, without intervention, the situation could deteriorate further.