SIRAK GEBREHIWOT
The journey home does not end at the border.
For thousands of Zimbabweans returning from South Africa, coming home often means stepping into uncertainty. Some arrive with little more than the clothes they are wearing. Others return with valuable skills and years of experience but no clear pathway to employment. Many face the difficult task of rebuilding their lives after disruption, displacement and, in some cases, trauma.
“Our focus extends far beyond numbers, procedures, or border crossings,” said UN Resident Coordinator in Zimbabwe, Dr Rosemary Kalapurakal. “At its heart are Zimbabwean women, men and children whose return home has often been shaped by uncertainty, hardship, and circumstances beyond their control.”
Her remarks reflect a growing recognition that migration is ultimately a human story. While public debate often focuses on statistics and border management, the real challenge begins after people arrive home.
“For many Zimbabweans returning home, the challenge is not only the journey itself,” Dr Kalapurakal said. “It is the loss of livelihoods, disruption to family life, uncertainty about the future, and the painful experience of feeling unwelcome in a place where they had hoped to build opportunity and security.”
She added: “Behind every statistic is a person – a son or daughter, a parent, a student, a worker, a neighbour. Our responsibility is not simply to facilitate a safe return, but to help create the conditions for stability, inclusion, and renewed opportunity.”
From reception to reintegration
Zimbabwe’s response is being led by the Government through the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works and the Department of Civil Protection, working alongside several ministries and agencies. The United Nations supports the effort through assistance ranging from reception services and protection support to family reunification and access to basic services.
“The United Nations appreciates the leadership demonstrated by the Government,” Dr Kalapurakal said. “We are here to support a people-centred response, anchored in Government leadership and focused on practical solutions that can help returning Zimbabweans rebuild their lives and contribute to their communities.”
Yet there is broad agreement that emergency assistance alone is not enough.
As Zimbabwe continues to receive returning citizens, attention is increasingly shifting from immediate relief to long-term reintegration. That means building stronger referral systems, improving social protection mechanisms and creating pathways to employment, entrepreneurship and economic participation.
“Different UN agencies are supporting different aspects of the Government-led response,” Dr Kalapurakal noted. “Together, these efforts reflect the breadth of needs facing returnees and receiving communities alike. At the same time, we must look beyond immediate assistance.”
Recognising skills, unlocking potential
One of the strongest themes in the reintegration debate is the need to view returnees not only as people requiring support, but also as contributors to national development.
Many return with skills acquired through years of work abroad. Among them are artisans, healthcare workers, teachers, entrepreneurs and young people who have gained practical experience in a wide range of trades.
Government officials argue that these capabilities represent an important national asset. The Ministry of Skills Audit and Development has encouraged returnees to register their qualifications and competencies so they can be documented and linked to opportunities.
With the right support, including skills recognition, access to finance and business development services, returnees can help strengthen local economies, support industrialisation and create employment in their communities.
The United Nations and its partners have sought to connect reintegration efforts with youth employment programmes, enterprise development initiatives and financial inclusion strategies, recognising that successful reintegration depends as much on economic opportunity as it does on humanitarian support.
A shared responsibility
Addressing the challenge requires more than government action alone.
Churches, community organisations, development partners and the private sector have supported returnees through food assistance, psychosocial support, education programmes and livelihood initiatives.
“The scale of this challenge requires a broad coalition of partners,” Dr Kalapurakal said. “Government leadership will remain central. But durable solutions will also depend on the combined efforts of the United Nations, development partners, international financial institutions, civil society, local authorities, communities and the private sector.”
She noted that helping returnees rebuild their lives is not only a humanitarian obligation, but also an investment in social cohesion, local economic development and Zimbabwe’s future.
Measuring success differently
As Zimbabwe strengthens its response to returning citizens, officials and partners agree that success should not be measured solely by the efficiency of border operations or transport arrangements.
Instead, the true test will be whether those who return are able to rebuild stable, productive and dignified lives.
“The true measure of our response will not be how efficiently we manage arrivals, but whether those who return are able to build stable and productive futures for themselves and their families,” Dr Kalapurakal said.
For thousands of Zimbabweans making the journey home, that distinction matters.
The challenge facing Zimbabwe is not simply how to receive its returning citizens. It is how to ensure that return becomes an opportunity for renewal.
