Zimbabwe: Govt Says 15,000 of 108,000 Returnees From South Africa Already Registered for Employment
Government says more than 15,000 Zimbabweans who have returned from South Africa have already been registered for employment, as the number of returnees under the ongoing repatriation programme surpassed 108,000.
Speaking during a post-Cabinet media briefing on Tuesday, Information Minister Soda Zhemu said authorities were reintegrating returnees through skills registration, healthcare support and transport assistance.
“As at 18 July 2026, a total of 33,855 returnees had been repatriated through Government arrangements, while an estimated 74,511 had self-repatriated, bringing the total number of returnees to over 108,000.
“Additionally, a cumulative 791 self-repatriations have been recorded through Botswana entry points, namely: Plumtree, Mphoengs, Maitengwe and Mlambapele,” Zhemu said.
To facilitate the movement of returnees, government has undertaken 416 bus trips from the Beitbridge Repatriation Centre, transporting returnees to destinations across the country.
Government has adopted a three-pronged reintegration strategy centred on social, economic and cultural integration to help returnees settle back into their communities.
As part of the programme, authorities are registering the skills of returnees to facilitate their economic reintegration.
“To this end, the skills registration process is ongoing, with a total of 15,065 returnees having been registered across 52 identified occupations.
“The majority of skills are related to domestic work, bricklaying and farming,” Muswere said.
Government has also established a Reception Centre Clinic in Beitbridge, which has provided healthcare services to 1,474 returnees since the repatriation exercise began.
By New Zimbabwe.
