Malawians stranded in Beitbridge

Thousands of Malawian nationals returning from South Africa remain stranded at Beitbridge Border Post, with the Zimbabwean Government saying its priority is to assist Zimbabwean citizens returning home.

Matabeleland South Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Albert Nguluvhe said the Government was currently focused on facilitating the movement of Zimbabwean returnees to their respective provinces and had limited capacity to assist foreign nationals.

Speaking in a telephone interview, Nguluvhe said the Government could only help by coordinating with local transport operators to ferry Malawians who were able to pay their own fares to Nyamapanda Border Post on Zimbabwe's eastern frontier with Mozambique.

"Government is pushing that all Zimbabwean returnees get to their respective provinces," Nguluvhe said.

"Unfortunately there is nothing much we can do for our brothers other than liaise with local bus companies to ferry those who can pay to Nyamapanda Border Post."

Most of the stranded Malawian nationals are reportedly gathered at the Engen Service Station in Beitbridge's central business district as they wait for transport to continue their journey home.

Several of the returnees said they had encountered difficulties after being transported from different parts of South Africa.

One traveller claimed passengers were dropped off in Musina before reaching the border and given R200 each to make their own travel arrangements.

"We boarded buses in different cities and were ordered to disembark at Shell Service Station in Musina. Each passenger was given R200 to continue their journey. We are stranded," said one Malawian national.

Another alleged that passengers were instructed to leave their luggage on a bus after being assured it would follow them to the border, but the vehicle never arrived.

"As for us we were not given anything. We were ordered to disembark at the border and told that the bus would follow us. It's now over 12 hours since we were dropped off and the driver of the bus is no longer picking up our calls and our luggage is still in the bus," the traveller said.

Beitbridge Ward 3 councillor Takavingei Mahachi appealed to the Government to introduce measures that would ease the return of people displaced by the situation in South Africa.

He urged communities to support those arriving home and called for greater flexibility on customs and migration requirements.

"I am encouraging residents to accept repatriates as our friends and relatives and to be responsible for some. I am also appealing to Government to ease some policies to allow free and easy repatriation," Mahachi said.

"Most are self-repatriating because of the June 30, 2026, deadline without following procedure. These people have properties and vehicles which Government must allow free rebate. Their return is not by choice but by the situation."

The influx of returnees follows heightened anti-immigration tensions in South Africa, where renewed calls for stricter enforcement against undocumented foreign nationals have prompted thousands of migrants from across the region to return to their home countries. Zimbabwe has already announced a series of measures to assist its own returning citizens, including free transportation to provinces, school enrolment for returning children and customs concessions for eligible returnees.