“The last decent meal I had was a month ago … I don’t know
how I will pay my [R250] rent this month,” says Munyaradzi, who asked for his
surname to be withheld.
Munyaradzi is one of a group of Zimbabwean nationals living
in South Africa who want to be repatriated. They say making ends meet became
even harder since the lockdown began, leaving most of them who were informal
traders without an income.
“It’s better to go back home and start my life afresh. The
lockdown came at a time when I did not have any savings. My sister has stopped
assisting me because her money has also finished,” says Munyaradzi who lives
alone in Wells Estate. Before the lockdown, he relied on odd jobs as a painter.
“I need assistance from the Zimbabwe Embassy to be
repatriated back home,” he says.
Nancy Mukaro from Motherwell lives in a two-room home with
her two children. They too have asked to be sent back to Zimbabwe because
Mukaro has not been able to work in weeks.
Mukaro came to South Africa four years ago to live with her
husband who works at a citrus processing factory in Kirkwood. The couple have
since separated, leaving Mukaro to raise the children alone.
“I have never worked for one employer for long periods of
time whom I could have turned to for assistance. I want to go back home because
I can’t afford paying school fees when things are this tough. I also have to
pay rent at the end of the month,” she says.
Mukaro says the decision to return to Zimbabwe was not
easy. “There are no jobs in Zimbabwe and the economic and political situation
is bad. I am between a rock and a hard place,” she says.
In a statement earlier this month, the Zimbabwe Embassy in
Pretoria outlined some of the conditions for those applying for voluntary
repatriation: “The Embassy wishes to advise members of the community that the
government of South Africa allows for the voluntary, orderly repatriation of
foreign nationals to their countries of origin during the lockdown period.”
Zimbabwean Consul General Melody Chaurura told GroundUp
that they were compiling a list of people willing to be repatriated. She
refused to say how many people had already applied.
“We also urge our members to practice the spirit of ubuntu
by spreading this offer to other members who may want to go home on voluntary
repatriation. We encourage members with access to the internet and Facebook to
help others,” said Chaurura.
Those returning to Zimbabwe were warned to prepare for
compulsory quarantine for three weeks. Ground Up
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