HARARE, July 29– A total of 116,670 Zimbabwean citizens have returned from neighboring South Africa amid anti-immigration protests and violence in that country, Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Zhemu Soda said Tuesday.
Speaking at a post-Cabinet media briefing in Harare, Soda said 36,940 returnees were repatriated with government assistance, while 79,730 returned on their own.
So far, 38,057 returnees have registered for employment, he added.
He noted concern over returnees’ lost employment benefits, pensions and unpaid wages, saying the government will address these issues through bilateral channels.
To support the returnees, the government has mobilized trucks to transport their personal property and equipment while establishing a new reception center in Harare. Meanwhile, the Beitbridge Reception Center clinic has provided medical care to more than 2,100 returnees.
The Zimbabwean government has disbursed 3.4 million U.S. dollars for the repatriation efforts, complemented by funds from United Nations agencies and international humanitarian organizations, Soda added. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
