The Zimbabwe government has waived import duty on belongings of thousands of locals facing deportation from neighbouring South Africa pending the expiry of their special work permits next year, Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said late Tuesday.
More than 189,000 Zimbabweans living in South Africa have been in limbo since the Pretoria authorities announced in November 2021 their decision to discontinue the Zimbabwe Exemption Permits (ZEPs) by 31 December 2022. The deadline was later moved to the end of June 2023.
Mutsvangwa said returning Zimbabweans would be allowed to bring back all their belongings duty-free, including one vehicle.
“The Zimbabwean Government has issued guidelines and regulations for returning residents which include one duty-free vehicle and no limits to personal property,” Mutsvangwa told journalists at the end of the weekly cabinet meeting.
The ZEPs, which were introduced in 2009, have allowed Zimbabweans to work in South Africa without attaining normal work permits that are issued to other foreign nationals.
The pending expiry of the ZEPs means that Zimbabweans have to legitimise their stay through other forms of residency authorisation.
To get a work permit, the Zimbabweans have to apply to South Africa’s Ministry of Home Affairs and prove that they possess a special skill that is not available in the country.
Mutsvangwa said the Zimbabwean authorities had engaged the South African government to ensure that there is coordination when the deportations take place next year.
She said the government had established an inter-ministerial committee to coordinate the provision of transport and logistics, security, documentation, re-integration support, resource mobilisation, information and publicity as well as health and education.
JN/APA