Enough Nonsense! Zimbabwe Refuses to Chase 25,000 Illegal South African Immigrants

Zimbabwe government rejects calls to expel South Africans

Zimbabwe has finally spoken, and the message is loud and clear: enough nonsense. Even though South Africa is busy deporting Zimbabweans en masse, Harare will not hunt down and expel the estimated 25,000 illegal South African immigrants living in Zimbabwe.

Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi stood firm in Parliament on Wednesday and shut down any talk of a retaliatory crackdown. When Zaka South legislator Clemence Chiduwa asked why Zimbabwe couldn’t simply send those South Africans home, Ziyambi fired back without hesitation:

“We are not like them! Hatidi kuita zvavari kuita. Our culture does not allow us to chase away visitors even if they are illegal. If our children come back from South Africa, we welcome them. That’s Ubuntu, not this xenophobic madness!”

He made it clear: Zimbabwe will not launch a witch-hunt against South Africans simply because Mzansi is doing it to Zimbabweans. President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s directive to regularise long-term residents still stands.

“If a South African is here with proper papers, fine. But even the illegal ones, we are not going on a revenge mission like they are doing to our brothers and sisters,” Ziyambi added.

Our People Are Suffering While We Remain Soft

Over 99,000 Zimbabweans have already been forced back home under the repatriation programme. Health Minister Douglas Mombeshora revealed that all returnees are being screened for HIV, diabetes, hypertension and other conditions at the border.

At the Beitbridge Reception Centre, a dedicated clinic issues medicine for up to five days before returnees are sent on to their home districts. Government is also providing transport, vocational training, Empower Bank loans, Pfumvudza/Intwasa inputs, and other empowerment support to help returnees restart their lives.

But frustration among ordinary Zimbabweans is growing. Many are asking a pointed question: why are illegal South African immigrants being treated better here than Zimbabweans are being treated in South Africa?

What Sparked All This?

The repatriation exercise began on 28 May 2026, after violent anti-foreigner protests erupted across South Africa. Xenophobic groups reportedly set an unofficial deadline of 30 June for undocumented foreigners to leave or face attacks, with shops looted and people assaulted in the unrest.

In response, Zimbabwe set up a 24-hour inter-ministerial command centre at Beitbridge to receive, register, and assist returning citizens, with support from UN agencies and the private sector.

Yet even as it welcomes its own citizens home with open arms, Zimbabwe continues to hold off on expelling the 25,000 illegal South African immigrants within its borders.

A Warning Wrapped in Restraint

Zimbabweans are watching. The country has shown heart. It has shown Ubuntu. But patience is not unlimited.

Enough is enough with the one-sided friendship. Zimbabwe is taking care of its own, come rain or shine — but South Africa should take note: Zimbabwe haimbokundwi. Next time, the response may not be this restrained.