Debate around ZEPs stirs emotions with Operation Dudula members

The debate around the Zimbabwean exemption permits (ZEP) has stirred emotions, with Operation Dudula members saying they felt betrayed by their own government and the Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) calling for the decision to scrap ZEPs to be rescinded.

Head of the refugee and migrant rights programme at LHR, Sharon Ekambaram, said Home Affairs Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi’s decision was not evidence-based and resembled the forced removals which occurred during apartheid.

“Majority of the people who are coming from places like Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Malawi are fleeing because they cannot survive in those countries for whatever reasons.

“Most of them don’t qualify for the kinds of skills the policy has stipulated, which is discriminatory against predominantly black African people.

Only the rich, and mostly whites, would be able to qualify for those set out skills which have been identified for qualifying for a work permit,” said Ekambaram.

However, home affairs spokesperson Siya Qoza said while he could not go into much detail about this due to an ongoing lawsuit against the ZEP issue like ‘forced removals of apartheid’ department, people misunderstood the reasons for the cancellation.

Qoza said ZEP holders were welcomed to apply for any other visa apart from the work permit. He said the ZEP was flawed as it prohibited holders from finding love and getting married in SA, among others.

Ekambaram told The Citizen that regardless of the visa, 90% of ZEP holders would still not qualify for alternative vi- sas, which would then bring a massive problem of undocumented foreign nationals because of the dysfunctional system.

“Figures have shown that in 2007, about 50 000 people fled Zimbabwe because of fear of political persecution, torture, all grounds that they must be recognised as refugees because they fleeing conditions which are threats to their lives,” she added.

“So are we saying we’re done with the humanitarian approach and those people must go back to those very same conditions which prompted us to take the humanitarian approach in the first place?

“I think, for me, this policy change is going to do more harm than good.” ZEP holder Tariro Chivhaku agreed, saying Motsoaledi’s decision felt like a personal attack on black migrants.

ALSO READ: Claims of harassment and intimidation as ZEP case turns ugly