Zimbabwe: Gvt Pledges Fresh Start for Returning Citizens

Government says it is putting measures in place to help returnees from South Africa find their feet again by identifying their skills, connecting them with jobs and offering support to those who need a fresh start.

Speaking during a post cabinet briefing, Minister of Local Government and Public Works Daniel Garwe said the repatriation process is being coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade with returnees first received at the Beitbridge Border Post.

"We have two programmes that we are running. The programme of identifying people that are being repatriated in South Africa is under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and they are doing it extremely well. They carry people in South Africa and hand them over to the Zimbabwean Government at the Beitbridge Border Post," said Garwe.

He said the Beitbridge reception centre brings together 17 ministries, Government agencies and all 25 United Nations agencies in Zimbabwe to ensure returning citizens receive assistance.

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Garwe said authorities are not only recording the number of people coming back, but are also looking at what each individual can contribute through their skills and experience.

"As we do the screening, profiling and other services to the returnees, we also have a desk that identifies the retaining skills within the population that is coming back to Zimbabwe," he said.

He said returnees with professional skills will be assisted to find opportunities in areas where their expertise is needed, while others will be supported to acquire new skills or start income-generating projects.

Those who previously worked in the education sector, for example, will be linked with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, while those with industrial skills will be connected with companies that require their expertise.

"Those that are going to the industry are being absorbed into the various companies that require those skills. Those that require vocational training centres are being redirected to the relevant ministry responsible for vocational training centres, which is the Ministry of Youth," said Garwe.

To ensure no returnee is left behind, Government has also established reintegration reception centres at village and Rural District Council level, where people can continue receiving assistance after leaving the border.

Garwe said a database is being developed at entry points such as Beitbridge and Plumtree to track returnees' skills and needs.

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"We know who is coming and what skills does that person have. Those who don't have skills, they are also taken care of through the Ministry of Women's Affairs for start-ups," he said.

The programme, Government says is aimed at turning the return of Zimbabweans into an opportunity by helping them reconnect with communities and contribute to the country's economy.