Chronicle Editor
Nqobile Tshili, nqobile.tshili.chronicle.co.zw
FOR Ms Sithembiso Nanga, who superintends the Plumtree Reception and Support Centre, one of her dreadful experiences is handling traumatised children, particularly those who would have been deported from neighbouring countries like South Africa and Botswana
These children often arrive in Zimbabwe distressed and vulnerable, having experienced the traumatic process of deportation and separation from familiar environments.
The emotional and psychological impact on these children is profound and requires specialised care and attention to help them cope and recover from their ordeal.
Ms Nanga has to play a motherly role to scores of children with diverse backgrounds as part of the Government’s efforts to provide safe spaces for minors.
The facility, which is run by the Department of Social Development in the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, has the capacity to accommodate 25 children at any given time.
The deported minors are kept at the centre for a week before they are reunited with their families.
“One of the difficult things that we do is to receive children who would have been deported. They will be seriously traumatised and we have a role to restore their mental stability after which we connect them with their families,” said Ms Nanga.
“Some of the children would have been deported from Botswana and South Africa following the interception of cross-border vehicles that would be transporting them. They are brought here, which is a place of safety for a maximum of seven days.”
Most minors are smuggled out of the country by omalayitsha during school holidays. The South African Department of Social Development has a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare on matters related to unaccompanied and undocumented minors.
Despite stiff fines imposed by the South African Home Affairs Ministry on omalayitsha caught smuggling undocumented travellers or those with expired passports or no valid passports into that country, cases of smuggling of such persons continue to rise. Those caught smuggling undocumented persons pay a fine of R15 000 per person.
When a Chronicle news crew last week visited the Plumtree Reception and Support Centre, which is located just outside the border post, it observed a minor being offered accommodation at the centre.
Matabeleland South provincial, social development officer, Mr Criswell Nyakudya, said every month they receive children at the centre.
“We rarely spend a month without receiving any minors. The numbers fluctuate, come the festive season, we receive more children as most parents would be engaging cross-border transporters to smuggle their children to spend holidays where they would be based,” he said.
“This centre can accommodate 25 children and we look after them. It is a place of safety for them.”
Mr Nyakudya said while connecting the deported children with their relatives, the Government also assesses their needs, as some of them would have fled their homes due to abuse.
“There are psychosocial issues such as food, education and health and so, we bridge the gap between their families and where they come from. We also deal with child abuse cases and those running away from child marriages,” he said.
“Sometimes the major challenge is that you are sending someone to a family that does not afford hence the Department of Social Welfare in those districts of origin has to empower the family by providing them relief aid, including paying school fees, which is a challenge.”
Mr Nyakudya said the centre also handles adult deportees although they are not accommodated on the premises.
“On the other side, we have deportees or returnees, some of them would have committed crimes before fleeing to Botswana, so when they come back we profile them as Government departments, the President’s Office is involved, Public Service and police ,so that we can re-integrate them,” he said.
—@nqotshili
Online Reporter