MORE than 78 000 Zimbabweans have returned home from South Africa amid escalating anti-migrant protests and xenophobic tensions, only to face an uncertain future in a country struggling with high unemployment and limited economic opportunities.
For many returnees, the journey back is not a homecoming of choice but a desperate escape from fear, threats and insecurity. They are leaving behind jobs, homes and years of investment in South Africa, returning to a country that many had previously left in search of better livelihoods.
The mass return has been fuelled by escalating anti-migrant campaigns, threats targeting foreign nationals, and uncertainty over the expiry and cancellation of permits affecting hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans living in South Africa.
Government, working with the World Food Programme, Unicef and other partners, has established an inter-ministerial command centre at the Beitbridge reception point to assist returnees. Those arriving are being registered, provided with food, temporary shelter, psychosocial support and transport to their final destinations.
For many, however, the biggest challenge begins after crossing the border — rebuilding lives in a country where jobs remain scarce and opportunities limited.
Sithembiso Moyo is one of thousands who made the painful decision to leave South Africa after six years of building a life in Johannesburg.
The threat that finally broke her sense of security came during her daily commute.
Moyo is among at least 958 Zimbabwean returnees who crossed through Beitbridge between June 30 and July 12. The repatriation process is being coordinated by the Bulawayo Civil Protection Committee under the Local Government and Public Works ministry, with support from the Zimbabwe Heads of Christian Denominations (ZHOCD), which has mobilised churches to provide assistance to vulnerable returnees.
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Speaking to NewsDay at the Beitbridge Border Post, Moyo described how fear gradually replaced the sense of belonging she had developed in South Africa.
For years, Johannesburg had been her source of income and stability. But in recent weeks, ordinary journeys to work became frightening experiences as foreign nationals faced open hostility from some members of the public.
“The threats were constant and public,” she said. “They told us openly that our time was up. I knew I couldn’t risk my life.”
Moyo said one commuter warned her that foreigners would be targeted in attacks on July 16.
“One man pointed at tyres by the side of the road and openly told me that on Thursday, July 16, they would neck-tie every foreigner and burn them to death. I was disturbed, remembering previous xenophobic attacks, and I decided to pack my bags,” she said.
Moyo left behind her property and other belongings after her landlord also advised her to leave, citing concerns over the safety of foreign tenants.
Attempting to avoid threats on public transport, Moyo turned to ride-hailing services such as Uber to commute to work.
However, the high cost of the service quickly consumed her earnings.
“I had to quit my job,” she said.
“It was hard, but when the opportunity for free transport home came up, I knew I had to take it and join others who were leaving.”
ZHOCD Bishop Lazarus Mpande Khanye said churches in Bulawayo had launched a “soft landing” programme to support returnees arriving from South Africa.
“We met with other churches in Bulawayo to discuss how we could assist returnees coming through Beitbridge after the government and other well-wishers donated buses to transport people from Musina,” he said.
“We made arrangements to find venues where these people could be accommodated upon arrival.”
Churches have been providing food, counselling, prayers and onward transport for returnees arriving with little more than their personal belongings.
“We welcome them in a Christian way. We pray and sing as the buses arrive, giving them words of encouragement and making them feel at home,” Khanye said.
Bulawayo Provincial Affairs and Devolution minister Judith Ncube said government departments had been deployed to provide support to returnees.
She said civil registration officials were assisting those without identity documents, while health personnel, local authorities and other agencies were providing essential services.
“Upon arrival, the civil registration desk collects their details for birth certificate and national identity registration. We have several departments here assisting returnees with critical issues,” Ncube said.
Bulawayo ward 10 councillor Khalazani Ndlovu urged communities to welcome returnees and avoid stigmatisation.
“We should accept them as our brothers and sisters and make them feel at home. Some have skills such as welding and carpentry, and we are working towards helping them find opportunities back home,” he said.
The government recently deployed 35 buses to repatriate citizens from South Africa following widespread protests and attacks targeting foreign nationals.Presidential adviser Paul Tungwarara also announced plans to provide 50 buses at Beitbridge for Zimbabweans from Manicaland Province, while businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei pledged US$1 million toward the repatriation process.
For Moyo, the road ahead remains uncertain. Returning home means confronting the economic challenges that forced many Zimbabweans to leave in the first place.
But as she looks back towards the South African border, her strongest emotion is relief.
She is alive. She is safe. And for now, that is enough.
