Off the wire
• City slicker seagulls prefer junk food to fresh fish: biologists  • Syrian troops cut rebel supply route in Daraa province  • AU strongly condemns killings of African nationals by terrorist elements in Libya  • UNICEF confirms 4 staff killed in Somalia explosion  • Urgent: 7 injured as blast hit Afghan northern Kunduz city  • Eurozone construction production down by 1.8 pct in February  • Japan's opposition leader urge Abe be cautious on war anniversary statement  • 43 dinosaur egg fossils unearthed in south China  • At least 60 die in fresh airstrikes on Yemen's capital  • Chinese vice president meets Hong Kong delegation  
You are here: 　 Home

Zimbabwe repatriates 400 from South Africa

Xinhua, April 20, 2015 Adjust font size:

About 400 Zimbabweans are scheduled to arrive back to their country Monday from South Africa following a wave of xenophobic attacks in the neighboring country, state-media reported.

According to the Herald newspaper, the first batch of 407 Zimbabweans displaced by the violence left South Africa Sunday night by road and was expected to arrive in the country late Monday.

The Zimbabwean Embassy in South Africa is helping with documentation and repatriation of Zimbabweans wishing to return home.

Zimbabwe's ambassador to South Africa Isaac Moyo was quoted by the newspaper as saying that they will process repatriation documents for a further 400 people on Monday as government moves to evacuate its citizens from the violence ridden country.

"We have hired buses to transport our people from Durban to Zimbabwe by road," the ambassador was quoted as saying.

"They will enter through Beitbridge Border Post where a reception and support centre has already been set up in preparation for their onward transportation and integration at their respective homes," he said.

The wave of xenophobic violence against African immigrants has claimed five lives including one Zimbabwean since it broke out in the port city of Durban and spread to Johannesburg more than a week ago.

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, who is also African Union chairperson, has condemned the xenophobic attacks and urged Africans to treat each other with dignity.

"We understand that it was a protest against the influx into South Africa of citizens of neighboring countries. The act of treating other Africans in that horrible way can never be condoned by anyone.

"We say on behalf of the AU that must never happen again, never happen in South Africa or in any other country," Mugabe said at the weekend in a speech to mark his country's 35th independence anniversary. Endi