Bus operators hike fares as Zimbabweans flee SA

CROSS-border bus operators and transporters are cashing in on rising anti-migrant tensions in South Africa, with fares and luggage charges soaring as thousands of Zimbabweans rush home through the Beitbridge Border Post.

The border has experienced a sharp increase in traffic since late May, with long queues of buses, kombis and private vehicles arriving daily from Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape.

Border authorities say most of the travellers are Zimbabweans leaving South African townships amid growing fears sparked by anti-migrant protests.

Government figures show that 35,403 Zimbabweans have returned independently through Beitbridge, while a further 4,795 have been repatriated under State-assisted programmes.

Interviews with returnees and transport operators indicate that travel costs have risen sharply as demand for transport has increased.

A one-way bus ticket from Cape Town or KwaZulu-Natal to Harare, which previously cost about R1,800, is now selling for as much as R3,000.

"Most buses plying the KZN and Cape Town routes are reportedly fully booked up to July 5," said a woman travelling with her two children from Cape Town.

"The demand for transport home is high. People are scared. So the bus operators have doubled fares and this has seen many opting to use State assistance to leave South Africa.

"When the locals gave me one hour to leave, I was yet to receive my salary for June and, worse still, I couldn't afford the bus fare. From Cape Town to Harare people are now paying R3,000, up from R1,800, and if you have luggage it's even worse."

She said some transport operators were charging up to R4,000 for additional luggage, including trunks and household goods such as beds, refrigerators and stoves.

Many families, she said, were being forced to abandon their possessions because they could not afford the transport costs.

"Zimbabweans in those areas have created the demand, and the buses are cashing in," another returnee, identified only as Mitchel, said.

She added that many migrants had been caught off guard by the situation and were now relying on Government-funded transport to reach their homes.

Another returnee, Ernest, said he opted to use State-assisted transport after deciding to leave most of his belongings behind.

"I decided to come home with a few items using State-assisted transport to avoid huge costs," he said.

"I had to leave before month-end and, to make matters worse, landlords are no longer taking rentals from migrants for fear of being victimised.

"That's the same case with employers. Some migrants are being told not to come to work because the Government of South Africa has deployed labour inspectors who, if they find irregularities, slap employers with huge fines."

In response to the situation, the Zimbabwean Government has deployed additional embassy officials to affected areas in South Africa to document citizens and coordinate their repatriation by road in collaboration with South African authorities.

The majority of returnees are entering Zimbabwe through the Beitbridge Border Post, currently the country's only official land border with South Africa.

Authorities have classified the operation as a national emergency and are using a whole-of-government approach to manage the influx.

The Beitbridge District Civil Protection Committee, chaired by Sikhangezile Mafu, is coordinating operations with support from multiple government departments whenever buses arrive at the border.

Returnees are processed at the Government Reception and Support Centre in Beitbridge, which has the capacity to accommodate and process up to 1,000 adults and children each day.

"We have met with all State actors and agreed on the need to ensure a seamless process. We are using the whole-of-government approach so the process becomes seamless. All sub-committees have been activated for health, transport, resource mobilisation and social protection," Mafu said.

She said every returnee is registered and profiled by officials from the Department of Social Development and Immigration before undergoing medical screening by the Ministry of Health and Child Care to identify any immediate health needs.