The Zimbabwean government doesn’t want former ZEP holders to go back to their country contrary to what its Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Frederick Shava’s assertions that Zimbabwe was ready to welcome them, says Dr Vusimuzi Sibanda of the African Diaspora Forum (ADF) who added that it was just a public relations exercise.
While co-chairing the mid-term review of the Bi-National Commission (BNC) with International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor on Wednesday, Shava said the President Emmerson Mnangagwa led government was ready to welcome back its citizens who have lived in South Africa under the Zimbabwe Exemption Permits (ZEP).
“Our two governments must work closely in the implementation of this decision. We are ready to receive our nationals back home,” he said.
Dr. Sibanda, however, says Shava’s utterances cannot be taken seriously as he did not have any other options.
“It’s just a PR exercise, what can he say, these people are Zimbabweans, they cannot refuse to accept them,” said Dr. Sibanda.
“Secondly, the unemployment rate in Zimbabwe is at 90%, so to add another 170 000 to that number will cause a serious crisis for them,”
“Also, the majority of these people are not likely to vote for the governing party because they left the country as a result of poor governance. So that is a big dilemma for the ZANU PF government,” said Dr. Sibanda.
Numerous Zimbabweans living in South Africa are in limbo, after the South African government announced that it would not be extending the ZEP which ended on December 31, 2021.
About 170 000 ZEP holders were given a 12-months grace period to regularise their stay with another category of permit.
In May, the DHA urged former ZEP holders to apply to regularise their stay saying that only a few of them had submitted their applications.
Hopes are fading away for a majority of them who don’t qualify for other categories of permits.
The Helen Suzman Foundation and other organisations have since challenged the government’s decision to not renew the ZEP. They say the government’s decision was rushed and it lacked public participation.
