Undocumented Zimbabwean nationals prepare for their journey home as community tensions rise in AbaQulusi.
Undocumented Zimbabwean nationals living in the AbaQulusi Local Municipality are expected to return home on Wednesday. The group, which locals do not want in the community due to their immigration status, is said to have organised their own transport and wishes to return to Zimbabwe.
AbaQulusi Local Municipality mayor, Sifiso Mkhwanazi, said that they were facing the same national problem of foreign nationals.
“There are people from Zimbabwe who wish to return home, so we are assisting, in collaboration with the police, to help them return home. (On Monday), they slept here in the hall to find shelter. Now, we are moving them to a place where they will stay while waiting for the buses that have been arranged for them to leave, because the community is unhappy since they entered illegally. Therefore, they cannot stay in community halls because the community wants to use them,” Mkhwanazi said.
“We have arranged tents for them to set up camp there. But it is painful because there are also small children here, as you can see, but there is nothing we can do. We must protect them so they can return home safely.”
