1. The Minister of Home Affairs (“Minister”) has considered the Full Court judgment (Gauteng Division, Pretoria) on the application for leave to appeal in the Helen Suzman Foundation (“HSF”) v Minister of Home Affairs (“Minister”) and Another (ZEP matter) dismissing the application for leave to appeal lodged by him.

2. The Minister has also taken legal advice on the judgment. The Minister has decided to exhaust the legal remedies available to him. To this end, he has already instructed his legal representatives to lodge an application for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Appeal (“SCA”) without any delay.

3. The Minister believes that the matter is of such great public importance to deserve the attention of a higher court.

4. The Minister is encouraged by the increased number of waiver and visa applications lodged by the affected Zimbabwean nationals. The Minister is considering and approving an average of 2 000 waiver applications every week.

5. The Minister would like to assure the public that the Department of Home Affairs (“DHA”) will continue to enforce the immigration laws without fear or favour. Hence the very successful two-day immigration workshop held on 16 and 17 October 2023 at Birchwood Hotel, in Gauteng, attended by representatives of the National House of Traditional Leaders and Khoi and San Leaders and all provincial houses of traditional leaders, Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (“CONTRALESA”), National Khoi and San Council, Royal Leaders of South Africa (“ROLESA”), South African Local Government Association (“SALGA”), Mayors or Speakers of Metros and Districts, Ministers of Human Settlements, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Small Business Development, Deputy Ministers of Home Affairs and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Leaders and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition. A full statement on the workshop will be released in due course.