74 Zimbabweans repatriated from South Africa after xenophobic attacks

Seventy-four Zimbabwean nationals who fled xenophobic violence in South Africa’s Western Cape Province were repatriated on Sunday morning, arriving home through Beitbridge Border Post under a Government-assisted evacuation programme coordinated by the Zimbabwe Embassy in South Africa. The group, comprising men, women and children displaced by recent anti-immigrant attacks in Mossel Bay, arrived aboard a […]

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Seventy-four Zimbabwean nationals who fled xenophobic violence in South Africa’s Western Cape Province were repatriated on Sunday morning, arriving home through Beitbridge Border Post under a Government-assisted evacuation programme coordinated by the Zimbabwe Embassy in South Africa.

The group, comprising men, women and children displaced by recent anti-immigrant attacks in Mossel Bay, arrived aboard a single bus and was received by officials from the Department of Social Development, Immigration authorities and other border agencies.

Authorities said the returnees would undergo counselling and receive various forms of social support before being assisted with transport to their respective homes across the country.

The repatriation follows a surge in protests and attacks targeting foreign nationals in parts of South Africa, with Mossel Bay emerging as one of the areas hardest hit by the unrest. Reports indicate that several migrants have been killed, injured or displaced during the recent violence.

Officials from the Department of Social Development said the returnees would be assessed upon arrival and provided with psychosocial support, food assistance and transport to facilitate their reintegration into their communities.

The Zimbabwe Embassy in South Africa has meanwhile issued a safety advisory urging Zimbabweans residing in the neighbouring country to exercise caution amid continuing tensions.

The embassy advised citizens to avoid areas experiencing unrest, carry valid identification documents at all times and immediately report any threats or incidents to the nearest police station or Zimbabwean diplomatic mission.

“Government remains committed to assisting Zimbabwean citizens affected by incidents abroad and will continue monitoring the situation closely,” the embassy said in a recent statement.

Beitbridge Border Post, Zimbabwe’s busiest inland port of entry and a key gateway along the North-South Corridor, has frequently served as the entry point for returning citizens during previous waves of xenophobic violence in South Africa.

The latest repatriation comes as South African authorities intensify efforts to contain the unrest. Last week, South Africa activated the National Joint Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) to coordinate security responses to violent protests that have left several migrants dead, injured and displaced.

Government officials said they would continue working with the Zimbabwe Embassy and South African authorities to assist affected citizens and ensure the safe return of those wishing to come home.

Source – The Standard

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African migrants flee into the mountains as South Africa’s xenophobic violence surges

KLEINMOND, South Africa – Four days ago, Mozambican immigrant Lado Amido answered a knock at his door in the South African town of Kleinmond. Outside, an angry crowd told him foreigners such as him had to leave. They went ​door-to-door delivering the same message. Amido fled and spent two nights in the mountains. Now he […]

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KLEINMOND, South Africa – Four days ago, Mozambican immigrant Lado Amido answered a knock at his door in the South African town of Kleinmond.

Outside, an angry crowd told him foreigners such as him had to leave. They went ​door-to-door delivering the same message.

Amido fled and spent two nights in the mountains. Now he is sheltering ‌in a local town hall, like other immigrants from Malawi and Mozambique across South Africa’s Western Cape province, forced to hide from anti-immigrant mobs in several coastal towns.

South Africa has seen a wave of anti-immigrant protests, which have sometimes turned violent, in recent weeks. Mozambique said five of its ​citizens were killed in xenophobic attacks in the town of Mossel Bay over the weekend.

Amido lives in Kleinmond, about 300 km away.

“On the 31st, people came to my house, knocked on the door, and then took ⁠all my belongings,” said the 49-year-old, who had been in South Africa since February looking for work.

In Kleinmond town hall ​he is with about 100 other immigrants, some of whom are hoping to join voluntary repatriation programmes set up by their governments.

Xenophobic attacks are a recurring problem in South Africa, where immigrants are often blamed for economic woes such as high unemployment and crime.

Despite the absence of any evidence for this claim, politicians from nearly all parties have tended to lend it credence in an effort to score ​populist votes ahead of elections, such as the local polls coming up at year end.

“As we work to build a safer … ​and more prosperous society, we need to address the challenge of migration,” President Cyril Ramaphosa told parliament on Tuesday, while also condemning recent ‌xenophobic violence.

Grant ⁠Cohen, a ward councillor for Kleinmond, said that immigration authorities had visited the town in recent weeks to check restaurants and other businesses for undocumented workers.

But many of the immigrants sheltering at the town hall are in the country legally, he told Reuters.

“We’ve got kids here at the moment who should be in school, who have been in school in Kleinmond… (but) now want to flee ​the country out of fear ​and intimidation,” said Cohen.

“I don’t ⁠believe that residents should take things into their own hands.”

Michael Markson, a 31-year-old from Malawi, said he spent one night sleeping in the mountains after fleeing ​the informal settlement where he had lived for about a year on Saturday.

“My landlord came ​telling me that ⁠I should evacuate because if they find us, they’re going to kill us,” he said.

The next day, one of his friends called his boss, who brought them food as they hid in the woods.

Markson said he was close enough to see a large crowd of ⁠protesters in ​town, some carrying knives and sticks.

Now he is waiting for assistance to travel ​home, which he can’t afford.

“In our country there’s no-good economy… (but) it’s better than living in a community where your life is under threat.” – Reuters

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African migrants flee into the mountains as South Africa’s xenophobic violence surges

KLEINMOND, South Africa – Four days ago, Mozambican immigrant Lado Amido answered a knock at his door in the South African town of Kleinmond. Outside, an angry crowd told him foreigners such as him had to leave. They went ​door-to-door delivering the same message. Amido fled and spent two nights in the mountains. Now he […]

The post African migrants flee into the mountains as South Africa’s xenophobic violence surges appeared first on The Zimbabwe Mail.

KLEINMOND, South Africa – Four days ago, Mozambican immigrant Lado Amido answered a knock at his door in the South African town of Kleinmond.

Outside, an angry crowd told him foreigners such as him had to leave. They went ​door-to-door delivering the same message.

Amido fled and spent two nights in the mountains. Now he is sheltering ‌in a local town hall, like other immigrants from Malawi and Mozambique across South Africa’s Western Cape province, forced to hide from anti-immigrant mobs in several coastal towns.

South Africa has seen a wave of anti-immigrant protests, which have sometimes turned violent, in recent weeks. Mozambique said five of its ​citizens were killed in xenophobic attacks in the town of Mossel Bay over the weekend.

Amido lives in Kleinmond, about 300 km away.

“On the 31st, people came to my house, knocked on the door, and then took ⁠all my belongings,” said the 49-year-old, who had been in South Africa since February looking for work.

In Kleinmond town hall ​he is with about 100 other immigrants, some of whom are hoping to join voluntary repatriation programmes set up by their governments.

Xenophobic attacks are a recurring problem in South Africa, where immigrants are often blamed for economic woes such as high unemployment and crime.

Despite the absence of any evidence for this claim, politicians from nearly all parties have tended to lend it credence in an effort to score ​populist votes ahead of elections, such as the local polls coming up at year end.

“As we work to build a safer … ​and more prosperous society, we need to address the challenge of migration,” President Cyril Ramaphosa told parliament on Tuesday, while also condemning recent ‌xenophobic violence.

Grant ⁠Cohen, a ward councillor for Kleinmond, said that immigration authorities had visited the town in recent weeks to check restaurants and other businesses for undocumented workers.

But many of the immigrants sheltering at the town hall are in the country legally, he told Reuters.

“We’ve got kids here at the moment who should be in school, who have been in school in Kleinmond… (but) now want to flee ​the country out of fear ​and intimidation,” said Cohen.

“I don’t ⁠believe that residents should take things into their own hands.”

Michael Markson, a 31-year-old from Malawi, said he spent one night sleeping in the mountains after fleeing ​the informal settlement where he had lived for about a year on Saturday.

“My landlord came ​telling me that ⁠I should evacuate because if they find us, they’re going to kill us,” he said.

The next day, one of his friends called his boss, who brought them food as they hid in the woods.

Markson said he was close enough to see a large crowd of ⁠protesters in ​town, some carrying knives and sticks.

Now he is waiting for assistance to travel ​home, which he can’t afford.

“In our country there’s no-good economy… (but) it’s better than living in a community where your life is under threat.” – Reuters

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Air Zimbabwe misses June deadline for London flights, now targeting early July

HARARE — Air Zimbabwe will miss the June deadline for resuming non-stop flights to London set by Mutapa Investment Fund chief executive John Mangudya, with the national carrier now targeting a July 1 launch date for the long-awaited Harare–London Gatwick service. Mangudya stated in January that the airline would be flying to London by mid-year, […]

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HARARE — Air Zimbabwe will miss the June deadline for resuming non-stop flights to London set by Mutapa Investment Fund chief executive John Mangudya, with the national carrier now targeting a July 1 launch date for the long-awaited Harare–London Gatwick service.

Mangudya stated in January that the airline would be flying to London by mid-year, saying he had been assured by the airline’s chairman and chief executive that the route would resume “by June this year, or before June.” The deadline has now quietly slipped by.

The flights will be operated under an ACMI arrangement — Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance — with Spanish long-haul carrier Plus Ultra Líneas Aéreas providing the aircraft and crew while the service operates under the Air Zimbabwe brand. The model allows the cash-strapped national carrier to re-enter the route without relying on its own fleet, which lacks serviceable wide-body aircraft for long-haul operations.

Air Zimbabwe last flew to London in December 2011, when the airline’s ageing Boeing 767-200 fleet was threatened with repossession by creditors and was struggling to meet European regulatory and insurance requirements.

In the years since, successive transport ministers and Air Zimbabwe executives have announced imminent London relaunches, none of which materialised.

Mangudya, who has been more bullish than most about restoring the route, framed the London service as one of the most commercially attractive in Africa given the size of the Zimbabwean diaspora in Britain. He also cited the potential to revive fresh produce exports, noting that in the past, Zimbabwean horticulture could reach British supermarket shelves overnight.

Plus Ultra is expected to deploy either an Airbus A340-300 or an Airbus A330-200 on the route. Both aircraft types have the range to operate nonstop between Harare and Gatwick and meet UK and European airworthiness standards. The specific aircraft will depend on fleet availability at the time of operation.

London Gatwick has been selected over Heathrow, reflecting the greater slot availability that makes it a more practical choice for carriers operating under wet-lease arrangements. The airport offers strong access to the broader London metropolitan area and is already used by several African carriers.

Air Zimbabwe currently operates one Embraer ERJ-145 jet and a leased ATR 42-500 on domestic and regional routes. The airline is also in the process of disposing of two Boeing 777 aircraft acquired from Malaysia Airlines but never placed into service, with proceeds earmarked for a deposit on smaller domestic aircraft.

The Mutapa Investment Fund, which has absorbed the debts of Zimbabwe’s state-owned enterprises including Air Zimbabwe, is overseeing the fleet restructuring plan.

Source: ZimLive

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Mnangagwa donation of farm equipment to ex-chief justice raises stink

HARARE — President Emmerson Mnangagwa has presented recently retired Chief Justice Luke Malaba with an agricultural mechanisation package including a tractor, a Nissan UD truck, a boom sprayer, and a planter – drawing sharp criticism from lawyers who say the gift retrospectively taints every ruling Malaba made in the president’s favour. Malaba retired on May […]

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HARARE — President Emmerson Mnangagwa has presented recently retired Chief Justice Luke Malaba with an agricultural mechanisation package including a tractor, a Nissan UD truck, a boom sprayer, and a planter – drawing sharp criticism from lawyers who say the gift retrospectively taints every ruling Malaba made in the president’s favour.

Malaba retired on May 15 after a tenure marked by persistent accusations that he presided over a politicised judiciary deployed as a tool against the opposition. His exit itself was contentious: when he reached the mandatory retirement age of 70, the Zanu PF government amended the constitution to raise the retirement age for judges to 75, extending his term.

In the months before his retirement, Mnangagwa’s office approved a series of foreign trips for Malaba, allegedly intended to supplement his income ahead of his exit.

ZimLive understands he accumulated hundreds of thousands of dollars in travel and subsistence allowances, with some trips attracting up to $40,000 each. The destinations included Italy, Australia, Namibia, the Seychelles, Morocco, Ethiopia, and Kenya, among nearly a dozen countries visited.

Mnangagwa announced Malaba’s parting gifts on social media on June 6.

“It was my pleasure to welcome the recently retired Chief Justice Luke Malaba to State House today,” the president wrote. “In recognition of his outstanding service spanning decades, unwavering commitment, and exemplary legal leadership within the Zimbabwean judiciary, I presented him with an agricultural mechanisation package to facilitate his transition into post-retirement life.”

The package comprises a tractor, a Nissan UD truck, a boom sprayer, and a planter “to facilitate his agricultural pursuits.”

Mnangagwa added: “As he retires from the judiciary, I encourage him to leverage his vast expertise in the agricultural sector. Our land is a vital asset, and productivity must persist at all levels.”

President Emmerson Mnangagwa and retired chief justice Luke Malaba emerge from State House after private talks on June 6, 2026

President Emmerson Mnangagwa and retired chief justice Luke Malaba emerge from State House after private talks on June 6, 2026
Lawyers said that although Malaba had retired, accepting gifts from a president whose political interests his court repeatedly served sat deeply uncomfortably.

During his tenure, the judiciary threw out election petitions and, in a move that accelerated damaging divisions within the CCC opposition party, recognised Sengezo Tshabangu as the party’s secretary general, a highly contentious determination that led to the recall of dozens of elected lawmakers.

Advocate Thabani Mpofu, one of Zimbabwe’s most prominent lawyers, was unsparing in his assessment.

“CJ Malaba might have saved Mnangagwa but constitutionally, he never served him. That’s why the sight of him receiving a thank-you or service gift is deeply worrisome,” Mpofu said on Saturday.

“Justices are paid from the common purse and not from a politician’s back pocket. That’s an inflexible tenet to be jealously guarded to the last lawyer standing.”

Mpofu said the legal consequences extended beyond symbolism.

“The gift is legally significant in that it retrospectively taints every pronouncement that has ever been made by Malaba for the benefit of Mnangagwa. That is how the law on bias operates. A court order tainted by bias will, at the application of a concerned party, be set aside – whatever the consequences. Bias, just like fraud, unravels everything.”

Mpofu said he intends to write to Malaba demanding the return of the gifts, warning that legal action would follow if the retired chief justice declined.

Source: ZimLive

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