Hundreds of Zimbabwean nationals, among them women cradling infants and toddlers wrapped in blankets, are sleeping on pavements outside the Zimbabwe Consulate in District Six, Cape Town, as they wait to be repatriated.
By Saturday afternoon, the stretch along Fawley Street resembled a temporary camp. Suitcases, plastic bags, buckets and bundles of clothing were scattered across the pavement and on a small patch of land opposite the consulate building. Some people lay beneath piles of belongings to shield themselves from the cold, while others sat upright, keeping watch over what little they had left.
Many said they had abandoned years of accumulated possessions — televisions, fridges, beds, furniture and household goods — because those being repatriated are restricted to travelling with just one bag.
News24 visited the consulate on Saturday and found long queues snaking outside the building. Mothers fed babies while waiting to be called forward for processing. Inside, immigration officials moved briskly between offices carrying files and liaising with consulate staff. Fingerprints were taken, questions asked, and children attended to as paperwork was processed.
Outside, however, the mood was one of uncertainty and fatigue.
‘We just wait’
In a quieter corner away from the congestion sat 29-year-old Cynthia Gotoza, breastfeeding her nine-month-old baby boy. She said she had arrived at 21:00 on Friday and had spent the night outdoors.
“We just wait,” she said, explaining that she was still nowhere near being assisted.
Gotoza has lived in South Africa for eight years. In that time, she built a modest life working on a farm in Somerset. But when anti-foreigner tensions intensified, her employment came to an abrupt end.
“I used to work on a farm in Somerset, so when all the trouble with foreigners started, my employer let me go because I don’t have the correct documents,” she said.
With reports of growing hostility circulating on television and social media, she made a decision she never imagined she would face.
“Looking at what we’ve been seeing on TV and social media, I’ve decided to leave. I do not want to die. I have children, and I wouldn’t know how to defend myself against any attacking groups.”
She said her landlord advised her to prioritise her safety.
“The only thing she took was one blanket and a bag for both her and her baby.
“I left my TV, bed, fridge, pots…”
Her voice softened as she spoke about what lies ahead.
“I’ll see what I make of myself in Zimbabwe. I will try to do something to make my life better – maybe I can start farming chickens and start a business.”
For now, survival is immediate. Non-governmental organisations and church groups have stepped in to provide basic meals. On Saturday, those gathered received bread and peanut butter for breakfast, followed by rice and chicken for lunch.
One bag only
Although each person is limited to a single travel bag, the area outside the consulate is crowded with belongings that exceed that allowance. It is unclear what will happen to items that cannot be taken along.
Some sleep directly on the pavement, using bags as pillows. Others cluster together on the small piece of land in front of the building, sharing blankets as temperatures drop.
Infants and mothers lie side by side as the queue inches forward. The wait is restless and cramped. People squeeze against one another as they approach the entrance, hoping their names will be called.
From time to time, a bus pulls up — not to collect passengers, but to drop off more Zimbabwean nationals determined to return home.
‘I don’t want to see what happens’
For 29-year-old Steven Mahofu, the decision to leave was driven by uncertainty.
“I wish I could stay because I could make a living in South Africa. But the tensions are rising, and I don’t want to see what happens on the day,” he said, referring to the looming 30 June deadline set by anti-immigration groups calling for undocumented migrants to leave the country.
Mahofu has lived in South Africa since 2017, working at a citrus farm. Like many others, he left in haste.
“I have been living in South Africa since 2017, and I worked at a citrus farm. I am leaving all that. I didn’t even tell my boss because everything is happening so fast.”
He hopes to reunite with his family in Mberengwa, a town in Zimbabwe. With no blanket and just one bag at his side, he prepared himself for another cold night outdoors.
“I have made my decision, and I am leaving.”
Not everyone waiting outside the consulate is leaving solely out of fear. For some, the repatriation process presents a chance to reset their lives.
Benjamin Mashuka, 38, said economic hardship had weighed heavily on him since the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Since Covid-19, things were not going right. I lost my job as a truck driver and I have been trying to make ends meet,” he said.
“While we are scared of Dudula, because they will dudula (force out) us, we also use this opportunity to return and hopefully be able to start afresh.
“It’s time to face the struggles of my country.”
Waiting for buses as cold front approaches
By 18:15 on Saturday, no buses had arrived to collect those waiting. According to some at the scene, two buses departed on Friday evening, but none had returned by late afternoon the following day.
The South African Weather Service has forecast a cold front expected to reach Cape Town on Sunday, bringing disruptive rainfall and strong winds. Those sleeping outside fear they may still be on the pavement when the weather turns.
Families huddled together expressed hope that more buses would arrive soon, allowing them to leave before conditions deteriorate further.
For now, the pavement outside the Zimbabwe Consulate has become a holding ground for hundreds of people caught between two countries — one they are leaving behind under strain, and one they are returning to with uncertainty.
As night falls over District Six, blankets are spread thinly across concrete, children are tucked close to their mothers, and the queue remains.
