Five hundred and thirty more Zimbabweans wanting to return
home from South Africa arrived at Beitbridge on Saturday afternoon including
the first 204 having their transport costs covered by Government while the
remainder paid their own fares to get home.
The returnees were taken to quarantine centres across the
country, including the NSSA Hotel in Beitbridge.
The Zimbabwe Embassy has been arranging for bus companies
to bring Zimbabweans home and helping get the required movement permits from
the South African authorities.
But besides those who can afford their own fares, and just
needed help to get a company to lay on the service, about 400 citizens living
in South Africa needed free transport to the border.
Once in Zimbabwe all returnees are screened and then moved
at Government expense to an appropriate quarantine centre near their homes.
The first group 204 needing free transport across South
Africa arrived in a convoy of five buses and were taken to quarantine centres
in Bulawayo, Masvingo and Harare.
Logistics are being worked out to bring the other 196
citizens on sponsored repatriation.
The 326 returning citizens and legal residents who paid for
their transport arrived on seven buses and were dropped off at the National
Social Security Authority Hotel in Beitbridge, which is being used as
quarantine centre for returnees.
Under the self-repatriation model, Zimbabweans pay for
their bus fares, with the embassy arranging transport and logistics, while on
the assisted-repatriation model, the Government covers transportation costs.
Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to South Africa, Mr David
Hamadziripi, said on Wednesday last week that they had entered into a
partnership with businessman, Mr Justice Maphosa, to transport the 400
citizens.
Mr Maphosa is the CEO and founder of Bigtime Strategic
Group.
The package includes transportation of 400 Zimbabweans and
the provision of food on the journey.
The International Organisation for Migration provides
technical support to the embassy and is working on another humanitarian support
package.
Upon arrival in Beitbridge, the returnees are screened at
the NSSA Hotel and then taken to other provincial quarantine centres nearer to
their homes, where they are monitored for 14 days pending further management.
Director for Social Welfare in the Ministry of Public
Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Mr Totamirepi Tirivavi, on Saturday said
they profile all the returnees and dispatch them to agreed provincial
destinations.
“We received five buses with 204 on sponsored transport and
326 others on self-sponsored transport,” said Mr Tirivavi.
Government has mobilised enough resources to feed,
accommodate and transport the returnees coming in through all ports of entry.
Zimbabwe has over 18 ports of entry, with most of them
closed to non-essential human traffic.
Only commercial cargo is allowed passage through the
borders, while those being repatriated need movement permits from neighbouring
Governments under the ongoing lockdown protocols across the region, permits
whycih the embassies negotiate.
Nearly 2 000 Zimbabweans, among them 527 deportees, have
been repatriated from South Africa by road in the last two weeks.
In addition, 2 680 have registered with the Zimbabwe
Embassy in Pretoria, seeking repatriation while 6 000 have registered for food
assistance. Herald
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