A team of Zimbabwean Government officials has arrived in South Africa to assist Zimbabweans who want to return home before the June deadline for Zimbabwe Exemption Permit holders.
The Zimbabwean Embassy in South Africa is facilitating the safe and smooth return of citizens ahead of the June deadline for Zimbabwe Exemption Permit holders.
A team of government officials has since arrived in South Africa for an outreach programme to engage Zimbabweans after the neighbouring country announced that it will not be renewing exemption permits beyond June this year.
The development was confirmed by Zimbabwe’s top envoy to South Africa, Ambassador David Hamadziripi during a Diaspora engagement in Pretoria Friday evening.
“His Excellency, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been very clear. Infact he has been mentioning this quite regularly to say we are ready to receive our people, our nationals back home. Preparations are underway actively in Zimbabwe to receive those who desire and choose to go back home. As we speak we have a team that just arrived this afternoon here in South Africa from Harare who are going to be going out to the 9 provinces of South Africa in the next three weeks starting on Monday,” he said.
The Diaspora engagement was attended by prominent Zimbabweans living in South Africa such as famous Film Producer & Actor Enock Chihombori and Former Warriors striker, Robson Chisango.
“We are quite excited to be here and it’s quite and honour for the Ambassador to recognize Zimbabweans who are in the Diaspora and calling them, having a conversation with him and for us to air our views and also to have general discussions with him. It’s quite an experience and we hope it will continue,” said Chihombori.
”It’s really an honour and a privilege for me to be invited to such a big occasion. I have been staying here for more than 20 years. It is really the first of it’s kind where we have got the Ambassador of Zimbabwe in South Africa inviting fellow Zimbabweans to come to a forum like this where we are networking and just sharing a table with him,” noted Chisango.
Other Zimbabweans who attended the event organised for players in the hospitality and creative arts industry welcomed the move as a step in the right direction.
“It’s been a great meeting. We had the chance to ask the Ambassador as people in business. He has told us a number of things on how we can engage with the embassy.”
The Second Republic is promoting Diaspora engagement with all Zimbabweans living in various parts of the world in line with its mantra of living no one and no place behind in the country’s development programmes.
Source: ZBC
In other news – Army officer sentenced to 12 years imprisonment for robbery
A junior officer in the Zimbabwe National Army has been sentenced to an effective 8-year prison term after he was convicted for armed robbery.
In a statement by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Kudakwashe Kamhinza (21), was arraigned before the Harare Magistrates Court facing charges of robbery.Learn More
