Colletta Dube
Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
THE Government has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring returning Zimbabweans are received with dignity and integrated into national development programmes, with Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Skills Audit and Development, Ambassador Rudo Chitiga, touring the Repatriates Reception Centre at Beitbridge Border Post on Monday.
The visit comes as Government continues to strengthen support systems for citizens returning from South Africa, with a focus on skills profiling, reintegration and economic empowerment.
In a statement, the Ministry said the visit forms part of broader efforts to manage the repatriation process in an orderly manner while ensuring returnees are immediately linked to essential support services, skills assessment and economic opportunities.
“Ambassador Chitiga was received by officials from the Department of Social Welfare, Immigration, Health, and other key partners who are manning the centre. She toured the reception, screening, and documentation sections where returnees are processed upon arrival,” the statement said.
Speaking during the tour, Ambassador Chitiga said every Zimbabwean returning home possessed valuable skills and experience that could contribute to national development.
“Every Zimbabwean returning home brings skills, experience and potential that can help build the nation. Our role as Government is to ensure they are welcomed with respect and given pathways to reintegrate meaningfully,” she said.
She said the Ministry of Skills Audit and Development was ensuring that all returnees undergo skills auditing to facilitate their reintegration.
According to the Ministry, the exercise will profile returnees’ qualifications, trades and work experience acquired in South Africa and other countries, paving the way for possible upskilling and placement under the Zimbabwe Global Skills Partnership Programme (ZGSPP).
Officials at the reception centre briefed Ambassador Chitiga on the daily intake of returnees, operational challenges and the support services currently being provided, including food assistance, health screening and onward transport.
The Permanent Secretary assured returning citizens that Government was strengthening systems to ensure no one was left behind during the reintegration process.
The Beitbridge Repatriates Reception Centre has become a key facility in Government’s response to the increasing number of Zimbabweans returning from South Africa.
Authorities said the country’s reintegration strategy is anchored on recognising returnees not as a burden but as citizens with skills, experience and potential to contribute to the attainment of Vision 2030.
Online Reporter