HARARE, Jul. 15 (NewsDay Live) — Zimbabwe expects up to 70% of the estimated 2 million of its nationals living in South Africa to return home as xenophobic attacks intensify, with nearly 100,000 already repatriated since late May, a government minister has said.
Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe told a post-Cabinet media briefing on Tuesday that authorities were preparing for the possible return of about 1.4 million Zimbabweans and had activated nationwide reintegration mechanisms.
"We have got in excess of about 2 million Zimbabweans in South Africa, and we are hoping maybe 70% of that 2 million is coming back home, so we are very ready to receive them," Garwe said.
He said the pace of arrivals had increased after Zimbabwe stepped up repatriation efforts in coordination with South African authorities.
"Initially we were dealing with numbers around 700, 1,000, 1,500 per day," Garwe said. "Zimbabwe will not tire because these are Zimbabweans coming home. They are being well received by government and the wider community."
Garwe said all returnees would undergo screening and profiling before being reintegrated into their communities.
He said the reintegration program involves multiple government ministries, traditional leaders, churches, the private sector and United Nations agencies to provide transport, food, shelter, medical care and access to education for returning families.
"The private sector is playing a very critical role," Garwe said, adding that businesses had provided buses, clothing, medicines and other humanitarian assistance, while U.N. agencies were supporting temporary accommodation, healthcare and school reintegration for children.
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Cabinet said 99,418 Zimbabwean nationals were repatriated between May 28 and July 10 through a joint operation involving the Inter-Ministerial Committee and development partners.
"The nation is being informed that through collaborative efforts, the Inter-Ministerial Committee and Development Partners facilitated the return of 99,418 citizens between 28 May and 10 July, 2026. More than 70% of the returnees are women and children," Cabinet said in a post-meeting statement.
The government said the number of Zimbabweans requiring repatriation and reintegration assistance continues to rise and that additional measures have been put in place to meet growing demand.
Zimbabwe has not provided an official estimate of how many of its citizens are expected to return immediately, but Garwe said authorities were preparing for the possibility that as many as 1.4 million people could eventually come home if the situation in South Africa deteriorates further.
