<\/p>\n
Simpiwe Ndlovu, a Zimbabwean woman from Esigodini, near Bulawayo, was in her flat in Hillbrow in mid-August when a group of men, supporters of March and March, barged in and ordered her to leave. She was seven months pregnant.<\/p>\n
She begged to stay until after the birth, but her landlord \u2013 who said he was put under pressure \u2013 told her to leave.<\/p>\n
She is now one of over 300 people waiting to be repatriated at the former premises of the Zimbabwean Consulate in Bruma, Johannesburg, after March and March protests. Most of the families have come from Pretoria, Johannesburg and Vereeniging.<\/p>\n
Piles of neatly wrapped furniture and luggage surrounded the consulate building.<\/p>\n
Civil society groups under the Siyafana Sonke Action Campaign have been assisting with food, medical supplies, hygiene products and other provisions.<\/p>\n
Read:
March and March protests leave immigrant traders\u2019 livelihoods in ruins
SA braces for anti-immigrant shutdown on 30 June
South Africa struggles with migrant exodus and economic unrest
More than 53 000 foreigners deported or repatriated in clampdown on illegal migration<\/p>\n
The campaign\u2019s Tessa Dooms said they became aware of the situation at the consulate about a week and a half ago. She said that the Zimbabwean government had organised buses regularly over the past few months, but these had stopped in recent weeks.<\/p>\n
Dooms said consulate officials had not been forthcoming with information about when buses will be provided.<\/p>\n
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Dooms called for urgent intervention by the South African and Zimbabwean governments to fast-track the repatriation process.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are water shortages and only a few toilets. The circumstances pose a serious health risk, especially with children around,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Ethel Musonza, founder of Zimbabwe Isolated Women in South Africa, said there has been a diarrhoea outbreak. She also said a woman gave birth at the consulate last week. The woman who gave birth reportedly received donations to return to Zimbabwe.<\/p>\n
Belongings of displaced families stored at the former Zimbabwean consulate. Image: Kimberly Mutandiro<\/p>\n
\u2018All I want is to go home\u2019<\/p>\n
A 15-year-old who lived in Vereeniging with his family, said that in early August he was chased away from school during an anti-immigrant protest. Weeks later, the landlord chased the family away from their home.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll I want is to go home. I can\u2019t wait for buses to come,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Hanani Nleya, a self-employed carpenter, made cupboards, beds and sofas. On 15 August, he left his backyard shack in Sebokeng to work in the Free State. When he returned on 19 August, he found that his shack had been burnt down with everything in it, including his TV, radio, sofas, bed, phone, and R1,500 cash that he had hidden under the carpet.<\/p>\n
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\u201cWe never had any real threat of xenophobia in the area until word started going around that foreigners must leave the place, with neighbours playing the Abahambe song,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Nleya said he borrowed money to go to the consulate. He arrived with nothing but a pair of slippers and the clothes he was wearing. He has since been donated clothes.<\/p>\n
Read: Zimbabweans trying to leave SA turned back at Beitbridge border<\/p>\n
Abel Ndlovu lived in Tembisa and specialised in tree felling. March and March protesters came to his workplace and demanded that all immigrants leave. Ndlovu\u2019s employer fired him because he did not have documents.<\/p>\n
His landlord told him to leave immediately. He asked to be given a few days, but the landlord refused, claiming that he had already found a local tenant.<\/p>\n
Ndlovu said, given a choice, he would not choose to remain in South Africa due to the hostility he faced.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was a loyal tenant for more than five years, and at work I was very skilled. Just like that, they chase me away,\u201d said Ndlovu.<\/p>\n
He said for the past three weeks, consulate officials had been silent on when repatriation would take place.<\/p>\n
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Read:
Migrant exodus leaves gap SA may battle to close
Fleeing migrants leave hard-to-fill gap in South Africa\u2019s moribund economy
Blaming migrants ignores the real causes of SA\u2019s economic\u00a0crisis
Chaos in KZN as immigrants crowd reparation sites<\/p>\n
General Sithole from the Civic Engagement Forum of Zimbabwe said there were a total of 3 000 Zimbabweans awaiting repatriation nationwide. Sithole said the lack of buses was due to budget constraints.<\/p>\n
He said further delays were being caused by the closure of the Musina Temporary Repatriation Centre, where the Zimbabwean embassy and the Department of Home Affairs had collaborated to ensure a smooth repatriation process. People first have to be screened for criminal records.<\/p>\n
Talks are underway between the Civic Engagement Forum of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwean embassy to fund the remaining people to be repatriated, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe urge people who are currently awaiting repatriation to be patient while logistics are being prepared,\u201d said Sithole.<\/p>\n
The Zimbabwean Consulate did not respond to requests for comment. The Department of Home Affairs had not responded at the time of publication.<\/p>\n
\u00a9 2026 GroundUp. This article was first published here.<\/p>\n
#Zimbabweans #stuck #Joburg #consulate<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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