Harare – The skills and experience that Zimbabwean returnees have acquired over the years working in the diaspora will provide impetus to the country’s economic development agenda, a senior government official said on Monday.
Zimbabwe, which is targeting upper-middle income economy status by 2030, is expecting thousands of its citizens to return home from South Africa when special permits that had allowed Zimbabweans to live and work in that country expire mid-next year.
Indications are that 189 000 Zimbabweans held the special permits, but the bulk of them face deportation as they have so far failed to upgrade their to the required visas.
As such, Deputy Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet George Charamba said the government expects the returnees to put shoulder to the wheel, in aid of the current development thrust.
“We cannot live in the fear of Zimbabweans coming back from wherever they had gone, in search of what they thought were greener pastures. Zimbabwe needs all her hands on the deck, and will pool all skills, however rudimentary, which Zimbabweans picked during their sojourn in different parts of the world,” he tweeted.
“No one – repeat no one – should ever pretend returnees are a dreaded prospect. It is a self-lie. They have homes, they have land, they have webs of social safety nets. Above all, they have an economy which is now on a growth trajectory.”
The returnees are coming back to an economy that has recorded massive strides including increased foreign currency receipts, a near balanced budget as well as improved capacity utilisation in the manufacturing sector.
Also, with Zimbabwe’s economy having transitioned from recovery to growth, the strong business and investment opportunities fostered by the Second Republic’s business friendly policies, have attracted the attention of multinational companies in recent years.
For example, in the mining industry alone, multi-billion-dollar investments are taking shape in the iron, lithium, and platinum sub-sectors alone, providing a gap in which returning residents could utilise the skills they acquired outside.
A revamped agriculture sector will also provide avenues for returnees to explore and utilise their skills.
Apart from skills, returnees can provide other benefits including financial as those who have accumulated savings abroad can utilise these to set up businesses at home.
On its part, the government has started preparing to receive the returnees, and has availed several concessions to ensure a soft landing for them.
The returnees have been allowed to bring in all their belongings duty free including one vehicle.
The government has also established an inter-Ministerial committee that will look at the provision of transport, security, documentation, re-integration support, resource mobilisation, information and publicity as well as health and education. – New Ziana
