Online Reporter
Herald Reporter
THE Bridging Gap Foundation has facilitated the safe return of more than 5 000 Zimbabweans who fled South Africa following recent xenophobic attacks.
The returnees are being received at Beitbridge Border Post.
In a repatriation report released on Wednesday, Stallion Cruise, the bus company contracted to transport the returnees from Beitbridge, confirmed that it had completed 72 dedicated trips to various destinations across the country.
Stallion Cruise also thanked the Bridging Gap Foundation for selecting the company to transport returnees from Beitbridge to destinations across the country.
“During this period of national difficulty, Stallion Cruise extends its sincere gratitude to the Government of Zimbabwe, under the leadership of His Excellency President Emmerson D. Mnangagwa, and to the Bridging Gap Foundation for their steadfast support in facilitating the safe return of Zimbabweans.
“So far, we have ferried more than 5 000 passengers from Beitbridge, with more people still at the border waiting to be transported to their destinations.
“Thousands of Zimbabweans are returning home and we expect to continue ferrying passengers until next month,” reads part of the company statement.
The buses have carried families, students, traders and workers from the border into Zimbabwe. For many, the journey marked the end of weeks of fear and uncertainty.
“This operation stands as testimony to what becomes possible when the State and private sector move in unison for the welfare of the nation,” the statement added.
“The dignity of return is not merely about logistics — it is the restoration of belonging.”
Government officials receiving returnees at Beitbridge said the exercise forms part of broader efforts to ensure the safety and welfare of Zimbabweans abroad.
The Bridging Gap Foundation has been providing transport, food, counselling and temporary shelter to families upon their arrival at the border.
Returnees expressed relief at being back home. Many said they had left behind businesses and belongings, but were grateful to be alive and reunited with their families.
Stallion Cruise management said the Bridging Gap Foundation had remained committed to providing funding to serve the people of Zimbabwe “with excellence and honour” and pledged to continue assisting in any future national emergency response.
The latest repatriation has brought to the fore ongoing concerns about xenophobia in the region. President Emmerson D. Mnangagwa has called for calm and urged South African authorities to ensure the protection of all foreign nationals.
