A total of 129 Zimbabweans, fleeing xenophobic attacks in South Africa arrived in their country on Monday, 16 June through the Beitbridge Border Post.

The victims arrived in Zimbabwe aboard six buses of the Government of Zimbabwe, after they volunteered to return home, bringing to 557 the number of locals repatriated so far since the launch of the humanitarian programme three weeks ago. At the beginning of the month, the Zimbabwe Government dispatched 10 buses to South Africa in which 448 Zimbabweans were brought back.

Soon after their arrival at the border post, the people were taken to the Beitbridge Police Station, where they were addressed by Assistant Commissioner Loveness Ndanga of Matabeleland South province police. She said they were equally concerned about the recent events hence the move to dispatch buses to South Africa to ferry victims of xenophobic attacks.

Most of the returnees were from Harare Province, which had 43 people while Bulawayo had 25 and Midlands Province 37 returnees, while Manicaland had the least number with 23 people.

The returnees underwent a vetting exercise at the police station, before the buses took them to their provinces. They were also given grants by the Department of Social Welfare so that they could proceed to their respective homes.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Zimbabwe, initially 558 Zimbabweans had volunteered to be repatriated before some of them pulled out at the last minute.

The Secretary for the Ministry, Mr Joey Bimha, said the repatriation process was an ongoing exercise, which would cater for those who want to return home.

More than 20 000 foreigners, mostly Zimbabweans, Malawians and Mozambicans, were displaced at the height of the xenophobic attacks, which started in Alexandra Township in Johannesburg before spreading to other areas of the country. Sixty four people, 12 of them Zimbabweans, died during the attacks, which left more than 600 people wounded.

Several women were also raped, while others had their properties looted. Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to South Africa, Lesotho and Mauritius, Mr Simon Khaya Moyo, announced that staff at the Zimbabwean embassy was engaged in talks with authorities in the neighbouring country to find a lasting solution to the problem of xenophobia.

He said the attacks were unfortunate and reflected badly on the close ties that exist between the two countries.