Johannesburg – The High Court in Pretoria has dismissed the enforcement application brought by the Helen Suzman Foundation (HSF) in the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit (ZEP) matter.
The matter, which was opposed by the Department of Home Affairs, was joined by the Consortium for Refugees and Migrants in South Africa.
Commenting on the court ruling on Tuesday, the Department of Home Affairs said Minister Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi “whole-heartedly welcomes the full court judgment”.
The department said the HSF adopted an opportunistic approach of seeking a 50% personal costs order against the minister.
“This was too dismissed by the Full Court. HSF has been launching applications in court against the Minister in the so-called ‘public interest’”, the department said.
“The question is whose public interest is HSF and its fellow travelers serving?”
The department said in essence, HSF and CORMSA sought the judgment whereby the court will issue an order to compel the department to implement the adverse judgment regardless of any subsequent appeal by the minister in any court.
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“This judgment must serve as a wake-up call to the affected Zimbabwean nationals to follow the procedures outlined by the minister to regularise their stay in the Republic and forget about false promises,” said the department.
“The Full Court correctly dismissed the suggestion that there would be ‘calamities‘ in the event the enforcement order is not granted.
“These looming calamities and catastrophes only exist in the minds of HSF and CORMSA.
“They now approached court asking for more than they sought in the main application. The Court was justified in dismissing the application.”
