Online Reporter
Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
The Ministry of Skills Audit and Development (MOSAD) has registered 65 000 Zimbabweans returning from South Africa as part of a national skills audit to guide policy and integrate them into the mainstream economy.
The exercise is being conducted at the Beitbridge Reception and Support Centre, which continues to receive returnees daily.
Deputy Director for Skills Gap, Ms Lesley Chakundura, told the Joint Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Peace and Security, Defence, Home Affairs and Security Services during a verification visit to Beitbridge on Monday that the data will inform the Zimbabwe Global Skills Partnership Programme (ZGSPP).
“The skills audit is aimed at identifying the talents that returnees bring back home so that we can match them to opportunities,” said Ms Chakundura.
The registration comes as more than 45 000 Zimbabweans have been repatriated from South Africa by the Government, while 130 000 returned independently in recent weeks following unrest linked to xenophobic attacks.
Ms Chakundura said those registered include engineers, pharmacists, teachers and nurses. She noted that many returnees have skills but lack formal certificates.
“In partnership with the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, we have arranged bridging courses to enable them to obtain certificates and trade tests,” she said.
She said an ongoing course is already running in Bulawayo and will also include locals who need certification. Beneficiaries will receive Class 2 and 3 certificates. In Insiza, she added that training is underway in biogas digesters and solar installations and repairs.
Ms Chakundura added that most of the women returning were previously housekeepers or employed in low-skilled sectors.
The ministry is working with the Ministry of Women Affairs and other departments on empowerment programmes.
“Our main constraint is resources to help people with start-up capital. However, compiling this database will help the Government in comprehensive policy formulation to ensure seamless re-integration of those with special skills,” she said.
It is envisaged that the database will enable targeted support in agriculture, construction, health and manufacturing, while also reducing duplication of training.
