Johnathan Paoli
The North Gauteng High Court has dismissed an application by the Minister of Home Affairs, Aaron Motsoaledi, to appeal its previous ruling that his decision to terminate the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit (ZEP) programme was unconstitutional.
In September last year, Motsoaledi announced the government’s decision to terminate the programme and refused to entertain any further exemptions.
The Helen Suzman Foundation and the Consortium for Refugees and Migrants in South Africa went to court on behalf of the 178,000 holders of the permits to challenge Motsoaledi’s decision and, in June, the court found in their favour.
After the ruling, Motsoaledi appealed the decision, but a full bench of the court dismissed it with costs and ordered him to return to the drawing board and carry out proper consultation.
The ruling brings another year of protection for ZEP holders.
The legal team for the Consortium, led by David Simonsz, stressed that
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