Large crowds gather at Musina camp to process exit papers for Beitbridge

Large groups of foreign nationals gathered at the Musina Showgrounds camp on Tuesday, queueing for documents they need to return home via the Beitbridge border post.

Large groups of foreign nationals were preparing to exit the country through the Beitbridge border post on Tuesday afternoon.

– The Department of Home Affairs said more buses were expected at the Musina Showgrounds from different parts of the country to get their documents.

Large groups of foreign nationals gathered at the Musina Showgrounds camp on Tuesday, queueing for documents they need to return home via the Beitbridge border post.

Department of Home Affairs officials at the camp did not provide an exact headcount on Tuesday afternoon but said the crowd was in its “thousands” and that more buses were still arriving from Durban, Gauteng, the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape.

Some travellers said they had been on the road for three to four days.

The Musina Showgrounds camp was at capacity by mid afternoon. People were sleeping on mats and cardboard under trees. There were long queues outside the Musina home affairs and immigration offices where travellers were applying for travel certificates.

A man from Durban, who said he came to South Africa to pursue his career, noted the difference in conditions between the Durban and Musina camps.

“We were provided with food and everything at the Durban camp. Here in Musina there is no food and no showers,” he said.

Several other people in the queue told a similar story. They said they had not eaten since the previous day and had been sleeping outside since arriving in Musina.

One Malawian said he was frustrated by delays in processing exit papers.

The man said he had lived in South Africa for five years.

“I am frustrated because the process here at Musina and Beitbridge is very slow,” he said.

A fellow Malawian said he had lived in South Africa for four years and had all the necessary documents to be in the country. He was leaving because of the current political climate.

“Things in South Africa are bad because we are fighting for jobs with locals,” he said. “The MK Party just wants everyone out. It’s chasing everyone out. I am happy that I am going back home.”

There were South African Police Service and South African National Defence Force vehicles at the camp entrances and along the road leading to the home affairs office.

Officials said processing would continue while buses continued to arrive. Travellers said they were waiting for confirmation on transport to Beitbridge once they had their papers.

*Dr Tungwarara extends food aid to returnees at Beitbridge as evacuations continue*

ZIMBABWEANS returning home from South Africa have received a timely boost from Presidential Advisor on Special Projects, Dr Paul Tungwarara, who delivered food to families being evacuated amid ongoing anti-migrant protests.

The handover is being coordinated by Dr Chipo Maketo, who is working with a team from Safe Haven, an organisation led by Mr Claude and Babongile Gora. Safe Haven focuses on gender-based violence and social protection for migrants.

Distribution is taking place at the Government-run Reception and Support Centre in Beitbridge, which has become the first point of contact for nationals coming back through the border post.

Speaking at the centre on Wednesday, Dr Maketo said 1 700 food boxes had already been handed over to Zimbabweans leaving Beitbridge for various destinations across the country by the end of the day on Tuesday.

“As of Tuesday we had distributed 1 700 food boxes to Zimbabweans who were leaving Beitbridge to go to different places,” she said.

“We will continue with this support as more people arrive. The need is still there and we are prepared to meet returnees as they come through.”

She said the food support is meant to complement what Government is already doing on the ground to ensure returnees are received with dignity and do not go hungry after a long and often difficult journey.

“Dr Tungwarara has pledged to continue with more support. We are working to make sure that no family is left without something to eat as they transit through Beitbridge,” added Dr Maketo.

Special attention is also being given to women and children, in line with Safe Haven’s mandate on social protection and gender-based violence prevention.

Several partners are also working alongside the State to make the reception of returning nationals dignified and orderly.

These include the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), UNICEF, and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), who are set to deploy two doctors to the clinic at the Reception and Support Centre.

The Zimbabwe Red Cross Society is providing tracing and free phone call services to the returnees, IOM is assisting with transport, UNICEF is supporting child protection and sanitation, while MSF is offering health care to those in need.

In addition, the National Aids Council (NAC) is also on the ground offering voluntary HIV prevention and treatment services.

Officials say the multi-agency response will continue as long as the evacuations from South Africa go on.