More than 100 Zambian nationals have registered to return home from South Africa as the Zambian government continues facilitating the voluntary repatriation of citizens affected by anti-immigration protests reported in parts of the country.
The government says arrangements are underway to bring the registered nationals back to Zambia in collaboration with South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) and other relevant stakeholders.
In a statement issued today, Permanent Secretary for International Relations and Cooperation Etambuyu Anamela Gundersen says the repatriation exercise is being coordinated by the Office of the Vice President through the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU), Cabinet Office, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and the Zambia High Commission in Pretoria.
Gundersen says the programme is intended to assist Zambians who have voluntarily expressed a desire to return home, while the Zambian Mission in South Africa continues to closely monitor the situation in collaboration with the relevant South African authorities.
According to the statement 47 Zambian nationals were successfully repatriated last month under the ongoing programme through a coordinated effort involving various government institutions.
The Permanent Secretary further discloses that on Saturday, June 20, teams from the Zambia High Commission were deployed to Durban and East London to assist Zambian nationals and coordinate the latest phase of the repatriation exercise.
Meanwhile, the Zambia High Commission has urged all Zambian nationals living in South Africa to register on the ZamA Connect online platform, which was established to maintain an up-to-date database of Zambians in the country and improve communication and the delivery of consular assistance during emergencies.
The latest repatriation efforts come amid heightened tensions following a June 30 anti-immigration ultimatum issued by some civic groups in South Africa. However, there is no official directive from the South African government requiring foreign nationals to leave the country by that date.
By Mulenga Chipampe Makasa
