South African employers castigate cancellation of exemption permits

Harare (New Ziana) – The decision by the South Africa government to discontinue issuing special work permits for Zimbabweans constitutes a serious human rights violation, the country’s employer body has said.

The permits, dubbed the Zimbabwe Exemption Permits, provide legal protection to Zimbabwean nationals to live and work in South Africa.

But, Pretoria, under pressure from millions of its unemployed citizens – particularly youths – has announced plans to terminate all work permit exemptions for Zimbabweans by the end of the year.

The National Employers Association of South Africa (NEASA) has expressed strong misgivings over the government’s decision, but nonetheless has advised its members to monitor the status of their Zimbabwean staff, and where possible, help them to regularise their resident permits.

A lot of South Africa businesses across the board are reliant on Zimbabwean labour, whose loss – en masse – would be catastrophic on their operations.

An estimated three million Zimbabweans live and work in South Africa, a good number illegally.

The employer’s body has been backed in its opposition to the government move by two other organisations, the Helen Suzman Foundation and the Zimbabwean Immigration Federation, both of which have taken the authorities to court over the withdrawal of the exemptions for Zimbabwean workers.

“Apart from the serious human rights violations of the decision by the Minister of Home Affairs, the above has serious implications for some of our members who employ Zimbabwean workers using this permit,” Rona Bekker, NEASA senior policy advisor said in a statement.

“Members should be advised to inspect all Zimbabwean employees’ passports to determine which system and/or permit the employees are on, and where necessary inform the employees to ensure they make the necessary applications at the Department of Home Affairs as soon as possible.

“The members should perform another document inspection in December in order to determine which employees do not possess the proper documentation in order to proceed with the appropriate process.”

Early this month, the Zimbabwe government stated its readiness to welcome back its citizens who would wish to return home after the expiry of the permits.

“The Zimbabwe Exemption Permit will expire at the end of this year. Its expiry is naturally causing much anxiety to the holders of this permit,” Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Fredrick Shava said at the mid-term review of the Zimbabwe-South Africa Bi-National Commission.

“Our two governments must work closely in the implementation of this decision. We are ready to receive our nationals back home.”
New Ziana