The Department of Home Affairs is currently undertaking an extensive series of nationwide public consultations regarding the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit (ZEP) and the Lesotho Exemption Permit (LEP).

In alignment with the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act (PAJA) of 2000, the Department remains committed to a process that is fair, transparent and legally sound. Following previous legal challenges, the Department is strictly adhering to the court’s directive that any final decision be reached only after a rigorous and inclusive consultation process.

The primary objective of these consultations is to gather meaningful input from all affected stakeholders. This includes assessing the potential impact of any future decisions on permit holders, their dependants and the broader South African public.

The Department successfully launched the consultation process with government stakeholders on 14 April 2026 in Tshwane. This was followed by comprehensive public workshops in the Free State on 23 April 2026, a virtual session for the Eastern Cape on 13 May 2026, North West on 19 May 2026, and the Western Cape on 22 May 2026.

These public consultations have brought together ZEP and LEP holders, community members, representatives from the agricultural and business sectors, traditional leaders, Chapter 9 institutions, and civil society organisations.

To ensure that every voice is heard, the Department has scheduled further virtual and physical consultation sessions across the country as follows:

• 26 May 2026: Mpumalanga – Mbombela (physical)
• 28 May 2026: KwaZulu-Natal (virtual)
• 29 May 2026: Northern Cape (virtual)
• 10 June 2026: Limpopo – Polokwane (physical)

The consultation process will culminate in a National Consultation Workshop on 18 June 2026 in Gauteng. This session will bring together key interest groups, including civil society organisations and ZEP litigants, the embassies of Zimbabwe and Lesotho, international bodies such as the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), and Chapter 9 institutions.

The public consultations will inform the development of a comprehensive policy position on ZEP and LEP. A detailed report, including recommendations based on stakeholder and public input, will be submitted to Cabinet by the end of the 2026/27 financial year.

Submissions should be forwarded to the Department in any of the following ways:

• By hand to the Department at 10th Floor, Hallmark Building, 230 Johannes Ramokhoase Street, Pretoria, 0001;
• By post to the Department at Private Bag X114, Pretoria, 0001; or
• By e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Department remains committed to finding a sustainable, fair and legally sound solution to this long-standing matter

Media Enquiries:

Thulani Mavuso – Spokesperson for the Department of Home Affairs and Deputy Director-General for Operations,

Cell: 082 330 1404

ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HOME AFFAIRS