ZEP Returnees from S.A

Zimbabwean Exemption Permit

Government of Zimbabwe is expecting the highest number of returning residents from South Africa in the two Matabeleland provinces and Bulawayo metropolitan province upon expiry of their Zimbabwean Exemption Permits (ZEP) in June this year.

This was revealed by the secretary for provincial affairs and devolution in Matabeleland South by Latiso Dlamini-Maseko while opening a three day counselling and psychosocial training workshop in Bulawayo.

The Returners

It’s expected that the majority of returning residents would be concentrated in the Matabeleland South province. Being the closest geographically to the boarder, they will be having the highest number of returnees. Dlamini-Maseko stated that, “Matabeleland South, Beitbridge and Plumtree border posts will be overwhelmed and this is the reason we want to equip our frontline staff with the counselling and psychosocial skills which will assist in reintegrating the returning citizens”.

Additionally, the returnees’ skills that they acquired during their stay in South Africa will be utilised locally so that the country benefits economically. “Thus, we want to ensure that while we are bringing the returnees in, we would like to capacitate them so that we harness their skills acquired from South Africa,” stated Dlamini-Maseko.

Preparations

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Labour and social welfare Simon Masanga in his speech read on his behalf by the Chief Social Development Officer Patience Chiputura stated that it was important to capacitate frontline officials in the provinces with counselling skills. This training will empower the frontline officers to be equipped with skills to handle the returnees.

These officials will assist an estimated 170 000 holders of the ZEP, with counselling and psychosocial skills which will assist in integrating the returning citizens.

Living in South Africa

Prior to this move, South Africa has been issuing special permits that allowed skilled Zimbabweans to legally work and live in South Africa and has extended them several times. Holders of the ZEP have until the end of June this year to migrate to mainstream permits in South Africa. The last special permits were issued in 2017 and in November 2021. The South African Cabinet announced that no further concessions would be allowed on ZEP holders.

12 Month Grace

The Department of Home Affairs granted a 12-month grace period up to the end of last month, but later extended it to end of June this year. Government has set plans in motion to assist Zimbabweans to have a seamless return home at the expiry of the ZEP. The returning residents have been given a special facility by the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority ( ZIMRA) to ship in all their property before the date of arrival in the country free of duty.

During the meeting, it was revealed that the expected number of returnees may actually rise to three million as a result of families returning and other nationalities being deported. According to ZimStats Population and Housing Census, households with emigrants constituted 13,6 percent (520,240) of all households enumerated.

Humanitarian Crisis

A World Health Organisation (WHO) mental expert, Dr. Debra Machando stated that relocation is stressful and may have an effect on the mental health of those involved after ZEP expires. “When people are relocating, we consider that it’s a humanitarian crisis because they aren’t relocating voluntarily, but they are being deported. Just that knowledge of being deported brings about huge stress to any person”.

According to Dr. Machando, service delivery employees who will be welcoming returnees will also receive training.

“What we usually find is if you are working with such huge size of groups as the service deliverer you are also likely to be distressed. This training is also to support those who are going to be assisting the returnees when they come back,” she said. “We want to build their capacities so that they can be helpful in the services that they offer and treat the returnees with dignity. If people are treated with dignity and they are supported, the trauma of being deported is going to be less.”

Emigration Loss

In terms of the percentage of households that lost individuals to emigration, Matabeleland South Province had the highest percentage of 33 percent while Matabeleland North and Masvingo Provinces saw losses of 24 percent and 23 percent, respectively.