Anti-immigration group Operation Dudula announced on Friday that it is taking Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber to court over his decision to extend the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit (ZEP) by 18 months. That extension expires in May 2027.
Operation Dudula – which has been accused of promoting xenophobia in SA – served notice of motion on the minister, arguing that he lacked authority or followed improper procedures in extending the ZEP deadline.
The ZEP extension was gazetted in October 2025.
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Operation Dudula wants the Minister and the Director-General of Home Affairs to issue a new directive inviting ZEP holders to apply for alternative documents under SA immigration laws within six months.
If successful, this would impact up to 180,000 ZEP holders and their families, potentially requiring them to return to Zimbabwe.
Those cited as respondents included the Minister of Home Affairs and the Director-General, the Helen Suzman Foundation (HSF), the Consortium for Refugees and Migrants in SA, the Zimbabwe Immigration Federation (ZIF), and African Amity – the forerunner of the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit Holders Association (ZIFFA).
ZEP holders have complained of repeated harassment by Operation Dudula and similar groups: children have been denied enrollment in schools; Others have been blocked from accessing hospitals; The businesses where they work are subject to “immigration audit”; And many have been debunked.
Operation Dudula claims criticized
Advocate Simba Chitando, who represents ZEP, says, “It has been brought to my attention that my client, the sixth defendant in the litigation initiated by Operation Dudula, has, among others, been invited to defend the validity of ZEP.”
He further said, “The prayers in the notice of proposal for Operation Dudula appear, just at a glance, to be untenable, bizarre, obviously have no merit, and will be opposed.”
“In my view, their efforts should be focused on harnessing economic opportunities in the country and the region rather than targeting fellow Africans.”
ZIF founder Luke Dziviti says the Operation Dudula case should be removed from the court roll on technical grounds, as a court order dated 28 June 2023 requires the Home Minister to consult with ZEP holders.
This came after his predecessor, Aaron Motsoaledi, was found to have breached the Administration and Justice Promotion Act by ending the ZEP programme, which was originally introduced under different names in 2009 to regularize the status of Zimbabweans in SA, allowing them to live and work in SA.
The ZEP program has been extended several times since then.
Allegation of political motive
Some Zimbabweans believe this latest court challenge is an anticipated anti-immigrant campaign ahead of this year's local government elections.
Operation Dudula (meaning “to force” in isiZulu) previously attempted to intervene in a case brought by HSF against the Department of Home Affairs in 2022, in which the court overturned a decision to end the ZEP programme.
Dudula argued in that case that the permits stretched SA's limited resources and contributed to increasing social pressures, including crime.
Judge Norman Davis rejected Operation Dudula's intervention application, ruling that he had no direct and substantial interest in the case, and that claims linking immigrants to crime were imaginary.
political ambitions
Operation Dudula plans to contest the 2026 municipal elections in key areas such as Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and Tshwane.
The movement, formed in 2021 on an anti-immigration platform, has targeted undocumented immigrants and foreign-owned businesses while demanding mass deportations.