By Natalie Nyathi
Long queues are being witnessed at South African bound bus depots as a good number of Zimbabweans based in South Africa troop back to their bases after the Christmas holidays.
Many observers would have expected these immigrant workers to stay on until New year, but many factors seem to have discouraged these South African based Zimbabweans from extending their stay.
Some of these South African bound passengers that Zim GBC NEWS crew spoke to at the bus depos, claimed to have been given a few days off work down South.
“Sonke siyakwaz ukuthi eZimbabwe kuyadula nxa ulerand khona it’s worse, that’s why mina sengibuyela ngoba angisela mali. Ngoba irate yenu lapha nxa ulerand ayenzi, izinto ziyabe zidula shua”,said one passenger.
Another passenger by the name Mbomvu Khuphe said:
” Okwenza thina abanye sibuyele khathesi soon after Christmas, yikuthi khathesi kusacheap as it’s only R700 but after New year iyabe isingena kubo R1200″.
Some are going back early to work because their permits have expired and thus they are trying to avoid getting held up or deported home at the border.
“South Africa is not our homeland, l was given just one week and tomorrow l have to report for work,”said one passenger identified as Sijabuliso.
Last Sibanda, spokesperson for a cross border bus company told this reporter that many of these diaspora based Zimbabweans who are currently tracking back to South Africa, do so because they do not have passports, they would be trying to avoid the stampedes commonly associated with 1st of January and days after.
He also added that he has previously observed some people getting stranded and exposing themselves to robbery and rape.