POLICY AND POLITICS | Xenophobic Undertones in South Africa’s Non-renewal of the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit
By Sonny Mncedisi Dube Xenophobia can be defined as a strong and unreasonable dislike or fear of people from other countries [https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/xenophobia ] Recently the Southern African region and the continent at large has been awash with news that the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit will not be renewed any further, expiring on the 31 st of December 2021, with an ultimatum grace period of 12 months within which ZEP holders must apply under other permit regimes. The decision not to extend the ZEP was announced by South African Cabinet on the 25 th of November 2021. As the deadline is today the 31 st , it is of utmost significance to take a concise look at the nexus between policy and politics, with xenophobia taking a new dimension other than the widely known series of violent attacks. Prior to delving into the gist of the digest it is necessary to briefly look at the ZEP, its nature and definition. Background to the Zimbabwe Exempt...