WATCH | Thousands of Zimbabweans leave SA for an uncertain future
Organisers estimate that around 70% of those leaving are documented migrants with long-established lives in South Africa.
The uncertainty facing hundreds of Zimbabwean nationals stranded in Pietermaritzburg was evident on Friday morning as three more buses departed from a makeshift temporary camp on Havelock Road, carrying people back to the country.
Families, some carrying only a large suitcase and a small bag, boarded the buses after registering for voluntary repatriation.
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For many, the journey marked the end of lives they had built in South Africa and the beginning of an uncertain future.
Pietermaritzburg resident and Zimbabwean national Philip Tinago said the buses had been arranged by the Zimbabwean Consulate and would travel to the Beitbridge border post, where those returning would be processed before being transported by the Zimbabwean government to their home villages and towns.
“It is heartbreaking to see people leaving behind everything they have worked for and returning to a future they know very little about,” said Tinago.
About 70% of those leaving are documented migrants who have lived and worked in South Africa for many years.
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Tinago said the repatriation programme has gathered momentum in recent weeks, with seven buses departing on June 30, four more last Wednesday and another three on Friday.
He estimated that about 1 600 Zimbabwean nationals have now been successfully repatriated.
He expressed concern about the challenges many would face on their return, particularly older migrants who have spent decades in South Africa.
“Some are over 50 years old and have lived here for more than 20 years. Starting over will not be easy. Many have also left most of their belongings behind because they are only allowed to board with one large and one small bag,” he said.
Tinago added that the temporary camp has relied heavily on support from non-governmental organisations providing food, water, sanitation and emotional support to those awaiting transport.
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Meanwhile, Afrika Spear, a non-profit organisation advocating for vulnerable Africans, criticised government departments, employers and churches for failing to prevent the humanitarian crisis.
Spokesperson Bethwell Mbelu accused some employers of exploiting foreign nationals as a source of cheap labour before abandoning them when tensions escalated.
“Some employers simply brought their workers to the camp and left them there without making arrangements for their journey home. After benefiting from their labour, they walked away from their responsibility. That is inhumane,” he said.
An official from the Zimbabwean Embassy declined to comment and referred enquiries to the embassy.
