"We will neck-tie you. If you don't go back to Zimbabwe, we will burn you alive with tyres."
Those words ended Thabisani Mbano's six-year life in South Africa. Within days, the Zimbabwean arborist had packed his belongings, lost his job and joined hundreds of compatriots fleeing escalating xenophobic violence, returning home to Bulawayo to rebuild his life from scratch.
Between June 30 and July 12, returnees crossed through Beitbridge Border Post before being transported to the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa (UCCSA) in Bulawayo's Njube suburb, where government departments, churches and humanitarian organisations have joined forces to provide food, accommodation, medical care and documentation.
Speaking to NewsDay at Beitbridge Border Post, Mbano said a single phone call from his employer ended his livelihood.
"My boss told me he couldn't risk his company just for a foreigner. He said people had threatened to destroy his equipment if they found me still working there," Mbano recalled.
For five years, Mbano worked as an arborist, helping maintain Durban's electricity network by clearing trees around power lines. But as anti-immigrant sentiment intensified, he said staying in South Africa was no longer an option.
"I am going back to my home in Entumbane, Bulawayo, and I will start again from there. Even if I wanted to stay, the threats were too much, especially on public transport. Going home became a blessing in disguise," he said.
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The arrivals are being coordinated by the Bulawayo Civil Protection Committee, led by the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, with support from the Zimbabwe Heads of Christian Denominations (ZHOCD) and local churches.
ZHOCD leader Bishop Mpande Lazarus Khanye said churches moved quickly to prepare accommodation, food and other essentials after government and well-wishers provided buses to transport stranded Zimbabweans from Musina.
"We made these arrangements so we would be prepared to avoid unnecessary problems in our communities. We first secured accommodation for the returnees, then sourced food and other essentials. We welcome them in a Christian way, praying and singing as the buses arrive and offering words of encouragement to make them feel at home," he said.
Bulawayo Provincial Affairs and Devolution minister Judith Ncube said government departments had established a one-stop service centre at the church to assist returnees.
Civil registration officials are processing birth certificates and national identity cards on site, while health workers and other government agencies are providing essential services.
"Above all, home is the best," Ncube said.
Entumbane-Njube legislator Prince Dube praised churches and government agencies for providing immediate relief, noting that many returnees fled South Africa with few belongings.
"Some left without their possessions, some are on medication and there are schoolchildren among them. We appreciate everyone working to ensure they are treated with dignity as they return home," he said.
Ward 10 councillor Khalazani Ndlovu urged communities to welcome returnees and avoid stigmatising them.
"As community leaders, we welcome our people, provide psychosocial support and help reunite them with their families. We continue engaging communities, encouraging residents not to judge those returning from South Africa.
"We should accept them as our brothers and sisters and make them feel at home. Many have valuable skills, including welding and carpentry, and we are working to help them find employment," Ndlovu said.
The government recently deployed 35 buses to repatriate Zimbabweans from South Africa following xenophobic violence targeting foreign nationals. Presidential adviser Paul Tungwarara has also pledged 50 additional buses to transport returnees from Manicaland Province, while businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei has pledged US$1 million to support the repatriation effort.
