Zimbabwe must fix its economic and governance crises at home instead of relying on emergency repatriation efforts, Chiredzi Central MP Ropafadzo Makumire (CCC) has said, warning that proposed constitutional amendments risk deepening migration and instability.
Makumire condemned the recent wave of xenophobic attacks in South Africa but said the “more fundamental question” is why millions of Zimbabweans have left the country.
“People do not abandon their homes, families and communities for pleasure. They migrate because they are searching for opportunities, security and dignity that have become increasingly difficult to find at home,” Makumire said.
He noted that South Africa hosts an estimated 2.9 million international migrants, with Zimbabweans making up the largest share of the 3 to 4 million Zimbabweans living in the diaspora, according to the World Bank and International Organisation for Migration.
Makumire said Zimbabwe’s government must “accept responsibility” for conditions that have pushed citizens out since the early 2000s.
He cited hyperinflation that peaked at an estimated 79.6 billion percent in 2008, informal unemployment exceeding 80% at times, corruption, weak public services and policy instability.
“THE GREATEST EXPORT FROM ZIMBABWE SHOULD NEVER BE ITS PEOPLE,” he said. “Continued social and political unrest within the country has further undermined economic stability, discouraged both domestic and foreign investment, and contributed to a cycle of uncertainty that drives even more citizens to seek livelihoods elsewhere.”
The MP also urged South African leaders to reflect on their role during Zimbabwe’s political crises, particularly the 2008 disputed elections and the 2009–2013 Government of National Unity.
He said some leaders “chose to insist that there was no crisis in Zimbabwe while the country was bleeding economically and politically,” delaying meaningful reforms.
“The ANC should have the courage to engage honestly with its friends in Zimbabwe. Genuine solidarity is not about shielding one another from criticism. It is about speaking the truth when governance is failing,” Makumire said.
Makumire criticised reports that returning Zimbabweans were left sleeping outside consulates in Cape Town during winter, sometimes for days, while waiting for assistance.
“Why should Zimbabwean citizens be forced to sleep outside for days in the middle of winter when their country is this rich? Why should churches, charities and ordinary citizens be expected to perform duties that properly belong to the State?” he asked.
While acknowledging government efforts to coordinate transport and waive duties on household goods, he said overcrowded reception facilities and reliance on humanitarian organisations “should never become normal.”
“The first duty of any government is to protect and care for its own people, especially during times of crisis,” he said, citing the 2013 Constitution. Returnees should be received with “dignity, provided with temporary shelter, food, medical care and safe transport.”
Makumire said he voted against Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 during parliamentary debate, arguing that “in its current form, it will bring more harm than good.”
He warned CAB 3 threatens to “worsen socio-economic and political instability, erode investor confidence and further isolate Zimbabwe,” and could “accelerate capital flight, weaken already fragile institutions and push even more Zimbabweans into the diaspora.”
With the Bill now awaiting presidential assent, Makumire urged President Emmerson Mnangagwa to “pause and reflect on the broader national interest.”
“A careful reconsideration of CAB 3, informed by wider consultation and long-term national priorities, would demonstrate statesmanship and a commitment to unity, stability and sustainable development,” he said.
He called for “meaningful and inclusive dialogue” involving opposition parties, civil society, business, labour, churches, students, youth, the diaspora, regional partners and international financial institutions.
“Such dialogue must be genuine, not symbolic. It must focus on restoring economic stability, rebuilding trust in institutions, addressing corruption, ensuring policy consistency and creating a clear roadmap for recovery,” Makumire said.
Makumire said xenophobic attacks in South Africa, which have recurred in 2008, 2015 and 2019, are “deeply disturbing and deserve unequivocal condemnation.”
The 2008 attacks left over 60 people dead and more than 100,000 displaced. He said mob justice cannot solve immigration challenges, which require “effective border management, lawful immigration enforcement and regional cooperation.”
But the lasting solution, he argued, lies in Zimbabwe.
“Ultimately, the lasting solution lies neither in xenophobia nor in emergency repatriation. It lies in building a Zimbabwe where citizens are not compelled to leave in the first place, where good governance replaces corruption, accountability replaces impunity, jobs replace despair and public service replaces political patronage.”
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