adminThe Government is stepping up preparations to receive and integrate citizens expected to return from South Africa when their work permits expire in June this year, an official has said.
The South African government recently announced its intention not to renew Zimbabwe Exemption Permits (ZEPs) which are due to expire on June 30 this year. There over 185 000 ZEP holders living in the neighbouring country while an estimated 3 million are undocumented and are expected to return for fear of xenophobic attacks.
A large population of Zimbabweans left the country to escape the biting effects of sanctions that some Western countries imposed to punish the government for expropriating prime agricultural land from the minority whites for resettling the majority blacks.
As part of the preparations to receive the returning citizens, the Government this week conducted a three-day counselling and psychosocial training workshop for frontline workers from Tuesday to Thursday in Bulawayo.
Officials who underwent the training include social workers, police officers, health workers, counsellors and other senior government officials.
Addressing the participants, Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare permanent secretary Simon Masanga said preparations were progressing well in anticipation of a large number of returnees. “Preparations are underway to receive and integrate those affected by the move. These citizens include the vulnerable groups which includes people with disabilities, the aged and children,” he said. Masanga said his Ministry derived its authority from the migration policy which caters for both the regular and irregular migrants.
“We hope this training is going to help us strategise especially on the integration aspect. The inclusion of traditional leaders is of paramount importance as far as integration of returnees is concerned,” he said.He said there was need to find ways to harness the skills of the returnees so that they contributed towards efforts to develop the economy.”We are not expecting the returnees to be vulnerable and expecting a service from us, but we can also benefit from their services as a nation so that they compliment government efforts in economic development,” he said. — New Ziana.
Online Reporter