Online Reporter
Thupeyo Muleya-Beitbridge Bureau
The Government has moved in to assist Zimbabweans affected by xenophobia-motivated attacks in South Africa, with the first batch of 74 returnees arriving in the country via Beitbridge Border Post on Sunday morning.
The group was repatriated through the Zimbabwe Embassy in Pretoria after spending nearly two weeks under police care at the municipality hall in Mossel Bay, Western Cape province.
They arrived aboard a single bus comprising 49 adults and 25 accompanied children.
The returnees are destined for Chegutu, Chipinge, Chiredzi, Sanyati, Masvingo and other towns across the country.
The group was received at the border by officials from the Department of Social Development, Immigration, and other agencies.
Authorities said returnees will undergo counselling and receive psychosocial support, food, and transport assistance before being transported to their respective homes.
“The process ensures everyone arriving is assessed and provided with social support to help them reintegrate with their families and communities,” a Department of Social Development official said.
The returnees were also assisted with hygiene kits for men and women and Non-Food Item (NFI) kits, which comprised five plates, five mugs, kitchen knives, spoons, pots, mosquito nets, water buckets, water purification tablets, washing and bathing soap and bags by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM)
The repatriation comes at the height of protests and attacks on migrants in parts of South Africa, with Mossel Bay among the areas that have reported violence targeting foreign nationals.
In separate interviews, some of the returnees said they watched helplessly while their properties and rented houses were burnt by local citizens.
Most of them commended the Government for swiftly reacting to their distress call and helping them with transport to Zimbabwe.
“I want to thank the Government for coming to the rescue of its citizens through its Embassy. The situation in Mossel Bay is very tense, and we saw some houses being burnt down by South African mobs who are fighting migrants regardless of their immigration status,” said a truck driver, Mr Elijah Chikwenya who was travelling to Harare.
“The situation on that side is very bad; I had to escape to safety with my two children, aged 10 years and six years, and hide at a local municipality hall that was being guarded by the police.”
Another returnee, Miss Theresa Sibanda, said she has been working as a domestic worker with a valid passport for the past three years and had to escape to safety after the protesters gave her family an ultimatum to leave their rented house within an hour.
“The mob stormed our house and gave us one hour to pack and leave. For our safety, we complied and carried a few items and sought refuge at a local council hall where we stayed for three days before being assisted by officials from our embassy,” said Miss Sibanda.
Last week, South Africa activated its National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure to address violent protests that have left several migrants dead, injured and displaced.
Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe Embassy in South Africa has issued a safety advisory urging nationals to remain vigilant amid continued unrest.
The embassy advised Zimbabweans to avoid areas of unrest, carry identification documents at all times, and report any threats or incidents to the nearest police station or Zimbabwean mission.
