By Ziyah News Reporter
The South African Minister of Home Affairs Dr. Leon Schreiber, has issued a directive to introduce a blanket waiver for holders of the Zimbabwe Exemption Permits (ZEP) in a move that will not only give reprieve to ZEP holders but go a long way in tackling the backlog at the Department of Home Affairs.
With this directive, the Minister has effectively cleared thousands of individual waiver applications from ZEP holders — applications that, while generally approved, were delayed due to capacity constraints.
Since assuming office in early July, Dr. Leon Schreiber has taken bold actions to address the Department’s most critical challenges. His latest move to introduce a blanket waiver for ZEP exempts holder from the most stringent requirements applicable to general work visas.
It also means for ZEP holders with a job offer or work contract, this significantly increases the likelihood of securing a work visa for up to five years, paving the way for potential permanent residence.
Zimbabweans who are holders of the ZEP, a special dispensation of a permit introduced to try and regularise thousands of Zimbabwe in South Africa have been on the edge but it seems the new South African Home Affair Minister might turn their sleepless nights into bliss offering room for regularisation. Reports have also indicated the Minister has a white paper that proposes coming up with different visa regimes that will most likely make it easier for those seeking genuine work in South Africa easier to get short and long term visas.