THE South African government this week extended the validity of the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit (ZEP) until May 28, 2027 — a move that, on the surface, offers temporary relief to over
178 000 Zimbabwean immigrants living in that country.
ZEP, initially introduced in 2010 as part of South Africa’s efforts to regularise the stay of Zimbabweans who had fled the country’s political and economic turmoil, was due to expire at the end of next month.
The extension, announced by Home Affairs minister Leon Schreiber, provides a brief reprieve to thousands who have lived for years under the constant shadow of deportation.
While the decision has been widely welcomed by humanitarian organisations, it raises legitimate questions about Pretoria’s sincerity and long-term intentions.
This latest extension, though commendable in the short-term, appears to be yet another temporary patch on a deeply flawed immigration policy.
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For years, South Africa’s handling of Zimbabwean migrants has oscillated between reluctant tolerance and open hostility.
ZEP holders and undocumented immigrants have faced intimidation from vigilante movements such as Operation Dudula, which claim to be defending South African jobs by driving out foreigners.
These groups have taken the law into their own hands — harassing migrants, blocking children from attending public schools and even preventing ill foreigners from accessing healthcare.
The rise of such movements reflects the dire consequences of government inaction and mixed messaging.
Instead of decisively condemning xenophobia, successive South African administrations have often pandered to populist rhetoric, especially during election seasons.
This ambivalence on the part of politicians has emboldened groups like Dudula, whose rhetoric has grown increasingly toxic under its current leader, Zandile Dabula.
Dudula’s claim that foreigners are to blame for South Africa’s economic woes is both simplistic and misleading.
The country’s unemployment crisis, electricity shortages and structural inequality are products of domestic policy failures and decades of poor governance — not the presence of foreign workers, many of whom occupy low-paying jobs that locals often shun.
Yet, by scapegoating migrants, populist groups find an easy distraction from deeper systemic failures.
In this climate, the ZEP extension, while welcome, does little to guarantee safety or dignity for Zimbabwean immigrants.
It merely postpones the anxiety that has defined their lives for more than a decade.
Without clear policy reform, the threat of deportation and harassment will continue to hang over their heads.
Moreover, Pretoria’s approach ignores the root causes driving migration from Zimbabwe in the first place.
The continuous exodus of Zimbabweans — teachers, nurses, artisans and labourers — is a symptom of economic collapse, political repression and chronic mismanagement back home.
The irony is painful: South Africa finds itself managing the consequences of its neighbour’s governance failures while Zimbabwe’s ruling elite continues to deny responsibility.
For Zimbabwe, this mass migration has created a dual crisis — a brain drain that has crippled critical sectors and a dependence on diaspora remittances that sustain millions of households but mask the State’s failure to create jobs.
The government’s lack of urgency in addressing these issues means that migration remains the only viable escape route for many citizens.
Against this backdrop, it is difficult to view Pretoria’s decision as an act of goodwill.
Rather, it seems designed to defuse immediate political pressure while postponing the inevitable reckoning over immigration policy.
True sincerity would involve a long-term humane solution: a clear path to permanent residence or citizenship for the migrants involved whose contribution to South Africa’s economy and society is invaluable.
At a regional level, the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) cannot continue to turn a blind eye to these unfolding humanitarian and political challenges.
Regional migration is no longer an emergency — it is a permanent feature of southern Africa’s economic landscape.
Sadc must play a more proactive role in co-ordinating migration management, protecting migrants’ rights and urging member States to address the structural inequalities that drive citizens to flee.
South Africa, as the region’s economic powerhouse, has both a moral and political responsibility to lead that conversation with compassion and foresight — not populism.
The extension of the ZEP offers temporary relief, but it is no substitute for coherent policy, regional co-operation and political honesty.
Unless Pretoria uses this two-year window to design a lasting solution, this latest gesture will go down as yet another act of political expedience, a short-term manoeuvre dressed up as compassion.
And unless Zimbabwe takes responsibility for its governance failures that drive its citizens into exile, the cycle of flight, exploitation and despair will continue.
The truth is harsh but undeniable: the ZEP extension is not a sign of sincerity; it is a symptom of two governments failing their people in different ways.