Dennis Juru, president of Zimbabwe International Cross Border Traders Association, has revealed that thirteen Zimbabweans collapsed and have been hospitalized after the South African Government announced that it will not renew their ZEP permits.

Please see Juru speaking on the video below.

 

On Thursday, Cabinet announced that the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit (ZEP), which ends 31 December, will not be extended.

However, Cabinet decided on a 12-month grace period during which time ZEP holders “should apply for other permits appropriate to their particular status or situation”.

Those who are not successful will have to leave South Africa or face deportation, said Cabinet.

The announcement ended months of rising anxiety for about 180,000 Zimbabweans in South Africa as the ZEP expiry date loomed and there had been no indication of what government intended to do.

Permit holders were debating whether to return home for Christmas. Many said banks had been refusing to grant them loans and cancelling their pre-approved bond applications, while employers were not renewing contracts because of their uncertain status.

Cabinet’s grace period will not necessarily help in this regard, and many ZEP holders are unlikely to qualify for other permits.