Johannesburg – The Helen Suzman Foundation has moved to “safeguard the integrity” of the court judgment that found terminating the Zimbabwe Exemption Permits (ZEP) was unlawful and invalid.
Announcing the move on Monday, the Helen Suzman Foundation said it “has been compelled to bring an application in order to safeguard the integrity of the judgment finding that the termination of the ZEP was unlawful and invalid”.
The Minister of Home Affairs seeks now to appeal that judgment.
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In the ordinary course, the leave to appeal process suspends the operation of the underlying order.
“In this case, the risk arises that the expiry date of the ZEP could be run down by running out the appeal process – meaning that there would be no real relief to be granted ZEP holders if that is the Courts’ ultimate determination,” said Nicole Fritz, Executive Director, Helen Suzman Foundation.
“HSF approached the Minister asking that he agree to observe the protections extended ZEP holders pending the conclusion of the appeal process.
“This was refused.
“It is on this basis that HSF approaches the court.”
Fritz added: “Shadowy organisations now seek deliberately to misrepresent the HSF’s application – misrepresentations that began circulating online, surprisingly, less than one day after HSF had filed its papers with the parties”.
Fritz said these deliberate misrepresentations were more than mischievous.
“They look to endanger the staff of HSF, all of whom are South African,” said Fritz.
“Even more sinisterly, they provide a vivid demonstration of what The Economist magazine this week called ‘paranoid nationalism’.”
Fritz said these “blatant misrepresentations come hard on the heels of incendiary attempts to heap the blame for last week’s devastating fire in Johannesburg’s city centre, in which so many died and were injured, not on those truly responsible, but absurdly on NGOs.
“No one should have to be reminded of the role that NGOs have played in this country in securing rights and fighting against corruption and malfeasance.
“Coordinated attempts to discredit NGOs and erode the public’s trust through lies and misrepresentation are an attack on democracy itself.”
Responding to the foundation’s move, the Department of Home Affairs said: “The Minister of Home Affairs notes the court application by the Helen Suzman Foundation and the subsequent statement issued earlier today. The Department wishes to state that it will vigorously oppose the application”.
