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Zim exemption permits extended until June 30 as few have applied

3 September 2022 • Local, News • No Comments

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LOCAL

Home affairs minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has extended the validity of the Zimbabwe Special Permits until June 30 next year.

The permits, which were granted to Zimbabwenas who moved to the country before 2009, were set to expire at the end of this year.

These permits were meant to regularise the Zimbabweans’ presence and allow them access to services such as banking.

On Friday evening, the department said it had appointed a departmental advisory committee to assess the visa applications lodged by the affected Zimbabwean nationals.

Motsoaledi said he received a report from the committee which recommended that in view of the progress thus far, it will be prudent for him to consider extending the period within which the affected Zimbabwean nationals will have an opportunity to apply for visas or waivers for a further six months.

“The minister has carefully considered the request and decided to extend the period y a further six months, that is 31 December 2022 to 30 June 2023. Another factor considered by the minister is that few Zimbabwean nationals have thus far applied for visas and/or waivers,” the department said.

In court papers before the Pretoria high court last month, the department said only 6,000 of the 178,000 permit holders responded to Motsoaledi’s calls last year to state their case before the dispensation lapses. The department was responding to an application by the Helen Suzman Foundation, whoch has taken government to court over its decision not to extend the exemption permit.

The department on Friday called on the affected nationals to make use of this extension and not wait for the last moment to lodge their applications as there will be no further extensions granted by Motsoaledi.

Source: TimesLIVE

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