HARARE, ZIMBABWE — A convoy of 61 Zimbabwean nationals has safely arrived in Harare after escaping severe hostility in South Africa. The repatriated migrants, who were previously residing in Newcastle, were facilitated by the Zimbabwe Citizens Coalition of South Africa, which organized and provided the bus for their cross-border journey on Thursday.
The exodus from Osizweni in Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal, was prompted by a wave of intimidation targeting foreign residents. Among those forced to abandon their lives is a 45-year-old carpenter and father of three. Despite holding a valid Zimbabwe Exemption Permit (ZEP) and having legally resided in the country for nine years, he found himself at the mercy of armed locals.
Recounting the ordeal, the carpenter explained that gangsters descended upon their community, issuing a strict ultimatum for all foreigners to vacate the premises by the 30th of the month. With no financial resources to arrange their own transport and paralyzed by fear, the families were helpless as the attackers systematically looted their households.
“They started to take our property. They took my TV, my fridge, and my gadgets,” the devastated father shared, describing the experience as absolutely horrific. “My heart is bleeding right now,” he added, expressing profound shock that the violence was inflicted by fellow Africans.
Currently taking shelter at his parents’ residence in Chitungwiza, on the outskirts of the capital, the carpenter says the psychological scars run deep. The trauma has deeply affected his children, who now refuse to even speak about their former home or communicate with friends who remained behind.
Determined to never return, the carpenter expressed a bleak but resolute acceptance of his current reality. “I don’t want to go to South Africa. If I’m going to die with hunger in Zimbabwe, let it be,” he stated, choosing to endure his homeland’s ongoing economic meltdown rather than risk his family’s safety again.
This incident highlights the precarious situation faced by the massive diaspora community. Driven by severe economic challenges at home, an estimated two million Zimbabweans are believed to be living and working across the border in South Africa, while countless others have sought opportunities in Botswana, the United Kingdom, and beyond.