HARARE, July 7 (Xinhua) -- A total of 78,123 Zimbabweans have been repatriated from South Africa following xenophobic violence in the neighboring country, a cabinet minister said on Tuesday.
Zhemu Soda, the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, told a post-cabinet media briefing in Harare that approximately 21,291 Zimbabwean nationals were repatriated through government-assisted arrangements since May 2026, while an estimated 56,832 returned independently.
Soda said a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach has been adopted, with the private sector, UN agencies, and development partners complementing government efforts to ensure the safe, orderly, and dignified movement and reintegration of the returnees.
To coordinate the process, the government has established an inter-ministerial 24-hour command center at the Beitbridge border reception center to oversee receiving, registration, and transportation.
Additionally, the government has deployed buses to transport the returnees to their respective provinces, while providing comprehensive welfare services at the reception center, including temporary accommodation, medical screening, psychosocial support, and improved sanitation facilities.
