By Levy Masiteng
Three buses have arrived at the Mankweng Police Station in Limpopo to transport displaced Zimbabwean nationals back home, as anti-illegal migration protests take place across South Africa on Tuesday.
The leader of the displaced Zimbabweans camped outside the police station, Clever Zvitete, confirmed the arrival of the buses to the media.
He said those waiting to return home were relieved that the repatriation process was finally gaining momentum.
“Three of the buses that we were waiting for have now arrived here in Mankweng and we are happy to go home,” said Zvitete.
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The development came as demonstrations targeting undocumented immigrants are being held in several parts of the country following calls by the March and March movement for nationwide action.
The group of Zimbabwean nationals has been camping outside the Mankweng Police Station since Friday after being forced out of rented accommodation in areas including Mankweng, Seshego and Mamadimo Park.
Many said landlords had asked them to leave amid fears of being penalised for accommodating undocumented foreign nationals.
The camp initially housed more than 650 people, but by Monday night the number had swelled to approximately 1,400, including pregnant women and young children, as more Zimbabweans arrived seeking assistance to return home.
The Zimbabwean nationals said they gathered at the police station because they believed it had become the central point where authorities and their embassy were coordinating assistance for voluntary repatriation.
Limpopo police spokesperson Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba said many of the foreign nationals, most of whom reside in the Mankweng policing area, voluntarily came to the police station after learning about the planned shutdown.
The buses will transport the migrants to the Beitbridge Border Post, where they will first be processed at the Temporary Repatriation Centre established in Musina before crossing into Zimbabwe.
The latest operation followed measures announced last week by the eThekwini Municipality after the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration resolved on Friday to centralise the processing of Malawian nationals in Limpopo.
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Under the arrangement, Malawians who had been accommodated at the Durban Drive-In Temporary Repatriation Centre were relocated to the newly established Temporary Repatriation Processing Centre between Musina and the Beitbridge Border Post.
The municipality said about 15,000 Malawian nationals were transported to Limpopo as deportation and voluntary repatriation efforts continue.
Mashaba said the police are monitoring the anti-illegal migration protests and work to prevent violence while facilitating the voluntary return of foreign nationals.
