Zimbabwe repatriates more than 78,000 citizens from South Africa

Zimbabwe repatriates over 78,000 citizens from South Africa

HARARE – The Zimbabwean Government says more than 78,000 citizens have returned from South Africa since the launch of a nationwide repatriation programme in May, as authorities continue to scale up support for thousands fleeing rising anti-immigrant tensions across the border.

Briefing journalists after Tuesday's Cabinet meeting, Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Zhemu Soda said 21,291 Zimbabweans had been repatriated through Government-assisted arrangements since the exercise began on May 28, 2026, while a further 56,832 people had returned independently. The combined figure brings the total number of returnees to 78,123.

Soda said Government had established an Inter-Ministerial Committee at the Beitbridge Reception Centre to coordinate the reception, registration, transportation and reintegration of returning citizens.

"An inter-ministerial committee has been established at the Beitbridge Reception Centre to oversee the receiving, registration and transportation of returnees," he said.

To manage the growing influx, Government has introduced a range of interventions aimed at ensuring the safe and orderly return of Zimbabwean nationals.

According to Soda, authorities have established a 24-hour Inter-Ministerial Command Centre at the Beitbridge Border Post, while 50 ZUPCO buses have been deployed to transport returnees from Beitbridge to their respective provinces. Officials are also providing reception, registration, profiling, health screening, social protection and psychosocial support services at both the Beitbridge Reception Centre and designated district receiving centres.

Temporary accommodation facilities have been established to house vulnerable returnees, alongside a temporary clinic equipped with ambulances for emergency medical services. Government has also installed mobile ablution facilities to improve sanitation while mobilising additional resources to sustain transportation, reception and reintegration operations.

The repatriation programme has received significant support from the private sector and humanitarian organisations. Businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei, through the Bridging Gaps Foundation, has donated 11 buses to supplement the Government fleet transporting returnees. Additional vehicles have also been provided by businessman Paul Tungwarara and philanthropist Esau Mupfumi.

Meanwhile, the Higherlife Foundation and Life Foundation have each donated an ambulance to strengthen emergency medical services at the reception centre. Development partners, including the World Food Programme (WFP), UNICEF and the Adventist Relief and Development Agency (ADRA), are providing food, blankets and other humanitarian assistance to returning families.

The repatriation exercise follows a wave of anti-immigrant protests in South Africa, where citizen-led groups had declared June 30 as an unofficial deadline for undocumented foreign nationals to leave the country. The demonstrations, which took place in several communities, raised concerns over the safety of foreign nationals, including Zimbabweans, although South African President Cyril Ramaphosa warned that authorities would act decisively against anyone attempting to incite violence or destabilise the country.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has urged Zimbabweans to receive returning citizens with dignity and compassion.

"Let us welcome our returning compatriots with the true African values of compassion, love and caring for one another," the President said, adding that Government had put in place comprehensive programmes to ensure their "seamless, safe and dignified reintegration."

While there are no official figures on the number of Zimbabweans living in South Africa, estimates by researchers and migration organisations suggest the population exceeds one million, making South Africa the largest destination for Zimbabwean migrants seeking employment and economic opportunities.

Zimbabwe repatriation from South Africa