Despite fears of xenophobic attacks against foreign nationals by South African citizens in the country after the 2010 Fifa World Cup, scores of Zimbabweans are still flocking to the country in search of economic freedom.

Some still risk their lives by walking on foot for more than 600km from their homes to South Africa.

Speaking from Musina, Thomas Khatsholo (22) said he had walked from his home in Masvingo to South Africa. He left his home with a friend, Andrew Muntonga, 17, last Monday morning and they arrived at Musina on Wednesday evening. They are now in Musina, waiting for a chance to get asylum papers, so that they can go to Thohoyandou, where they will meet a friend who promised that he would help them to get a job.

Khatsholo says he is not aware of the threats of xenophobic attacks against foreign nationals and is not worried about them. “I am an orphaned child. My parents died 12 years ago. The situation is very bad back at home. I do not regret risking my life by walking through the bush to reach here. My wish is to find a better life here. How and when it will happen, I do not care,” says Khatsholo.

His friend, Muntonga, says it was difficult to walk from Masvingo to South Africa. “Hunger and threats from criminals and the amagumaguma make this journey a very challenging one. Amagumaguma took our good clothes and shoes. They also robbed us of our money that we were supposed to use for bribing soldiers at the Limpopo river.” Muntonga is also waiting for asylum papers.

On the other hand, David Moyo (25), who has been in South Africa for the past five years, says he has never been a victim of a xenophobic attack and he does not feel threatened. Moyo, who is staying in Sibasa near Thohoyandou, says: “I am more than at home where I am and the community accepts me with open arms.

“I come here to Musina to renew my asylum status every six months and go back to Sibasa, which I regard as my second home,” says Moyo.

Meanwhile, Ms Violet Mudau (pseudonym), says: “I am not xenophobic, but foreigners must go back to their homes because when we accommodate them we become victims. They rape, steal, and kill, which makes our country unsafe. Our towns are also dirty because they sleep all over as they do not have a place to stay. Some also relieve themselves in public places, which is a big threat to our health. Even our crime rate is very high because of them,” says Mudau, a South African national from Musina.