Zimbabwe has recorded more than 197,000 nationals returning from South Africa through government-assisted repatriation and voluntary return arrangements, although the number of returnees has significantly declined, the Cabinet has announced.

Addressing the post-cabinet briefing on Tuesday, the government announced that a total of 42,553 Zimbabweans had been repatriated through government arrangements as of October 6, 2026, while cumulative self-repatriations stood at 154,741.

The government-assisted returnees comprise 10,475 adult men, 13,631 adult women, 9,001 male minors and 9,446 female minors.

Cabinet said the decline in repatriations had been observed across both government-supported returns and self-repatriations.

Meanwhile, 700 deportees from South Africa’s Lindela Repatriation Centre had been received at the Beitbridge Reception and Support Centre as of September 24, 2026.

The government said the Joint Operations Command (JOC) remained central to the screening and handling of deportees arriving in the country.

This is particularly important because some deportees are convicted offenders who had been serving prison sentences in South Africa and are required to complete the remainder of their sentences in Zimbabwe.

The latest figures reflect the continued movement of Zimbabwean nationals back from South Africa, following the surge in anti-immigrant protests ‌that have ⁠strained relations with other African countries and forced thousands of foreign nationals to flee following xenophobic attacks.