Zimbabweans in limbo

The much anticipated national and provincial elections in South Africa can put a dent on the prospects of many Zimbabweans residing and anticipating to reside in South Africa.

For the incumbent ruling party ANC and the main opposition party the DA, amongst one of their foreign policies in their campaign manifestos was the issue of immigration which they said they would put a firm grip upon.

Just a couple of months ago, xenophobic attacks were witnessed in most of the provinces of South Africa with Zimbabweans falling prey to much of these attacks. However, the government of South Africa refuted the claim of xenophobia but rather as an act of crime.

Although there hasn't been any official stance on the issue of immigrants the DA has been very vocal throughout its campaign with its leader Mmusi Maimane vowing to implement stronger measures on the country's borders.

Last year the former mayor of Johannesburg, Herman Mashaba even said that foreigners posed a risk of spreading Ebola as a result of selling meat in the open streets. Even the ministry of health's Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi said that foreigners were exhausting the South African health care system.

However, Dr. Vusumuzi Sibanda the chairperson of the African Diaspora Forum disputed these claims as mere shenanigans that were meant to exacerbate xenophobia.

Since most of the foreign nationals that are in South Africa are from Zimbabwe the impact of the immigration policy if put into precision is likely to hit Zimbabweans hard. Already thousands of Zimbabweans are flocking into South Africa on a daily basis evading the harsh socio-economic climate in their country.

Regardless of the incumbent president of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnangagwa having promised a better future for Zimbabweans upon his inauguration last year things seem to be getting worse as each day progresses, prompting a vast number of Zimbabweans to look to their southern neighbour for solace regardless of having the prerequisites to do so.