Zimbabweans die illegally crossing into South Africa

By Thandazo Ncube in Beitbridge | Harare Tribune News Updated: July 9, 2008 19:08 news@hararetribune.com

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A human smuggler (L), watches as Zimbabwaen immigrants, including a pregnant woman (C-R), change clothes after illegally crossing the Limpopo River into South Africa June 27, 2008 near Musina, South Africa. Photo: Harare Tribune

Zimbabwe, Harare-- The flood of Zimbabweans into neighbouring countries, particularly South Africa, appears to be on the increase again following the swearing in of Robert Mugabe into office a few days ago South African police patrolling the Zimbabwe/South Africa porous border said.

The police also confirmed Wednesday that they had picked up the remains of Zimbabwe who had died attempting to cross into South Africa. The remains were recovered at Eberstein Farm close to the twin border towns of Beitbridge & Musina.

Inspector Francois Celliers, of the South African police, said the bodies were picked up on Saturday in an advanced state of decomposition

"The bodies of the two, who we suspect could be Zimbabwean, were discovered by some farm workers along the Alldays-Venetia Road who, in turn, made a report to police. The bodies have since been conveyed to the Musina Government Hospital mortuary for post-mortem," Insp. Celliers said.

"We also suspect that the men might have strayed onto the farm soon after illegally crossing into South Africa. As police, we have since launched intensive investigations and we are going to get to the bottom of this matter."

Though to the uninitiated it seems easy, crossing the border into South Africa illegally is fraught with danger. However, the dangers of crossing the border, ranging from mauling by man eating lions, vigilante racist white farmers, money lusting human smugglers, to hunger, don't seem to deter determined Zimbabweans.

A stroll down the street in Beitbridge, a town brimming with prostitutes and human smugglers, one comes across many Zimbabweans preparing to cross the border.

"Why should i stay in Zimbabwe? What is there for me?" lamented Lameck Shumba, as he made his final preparations to cross the border at night fall on Tuesday.

"I graduated from the University of Zimbabwe with a bachelor's degree in Economics, but i have been unemployed for the past two years. Now that Mugabe is back in office, there is no reason for me wait, i have to work and feed my family you know," he added.

Thanks to Robert Mugabe's policies, Zimbabweans are finding it difficult to survive in Zimbabwe. Unemployment in the country is estimated at 95% and the annual inflation is at 9 000 000 %.

Deaths along the South Africa/Zimbabwe are nothing new, nor is the journeying of Zimbabweans to South Africa. Zimbabweans have been going to South Africa since the times Rhodes to work in mines on three year contracts.

"What makes the current migration to South Africa," explained Prof. Dube of the Great Zimbabwe University, "is that for the first, women are making the cross in large numbers. That has been the trend for the past eight years."

Once in South Africa, Zimbabweans work all kinds of jobs, from picking oranges in farms in Limpopo Province to selling handicrafts in South Africa's cities. However, some Zimbabweans get to South Africa and suddenly find that life is difficulty there, forcing them pursue such trades as bank robberies and prostitution

As long as the crisis in Zimbabwe continues, Zimbabweans will continue to cross into South Africa.

"It won't be surprising that by 2010, half the people in the country would have left," predicted Prof. Dube. -- Harare Tribune News.

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