UNFPA Zimbabwe Hands Out Dignity Kits to Women Returning From South Africa

• UNFPA Zimbabwe and its partners distributed dignity kits to Zimbabwean women and girls returning from South Africa amid a mass exodus
• The handover ceremony took place on 20 July 2026 and was officiated by Minister Monica Mutsvangwa
• The kits contain essential health and hygiene items aimed at supporting returnees as they begin reintegrating into their communities

UNFPA Zimbabwe stepped in to support thousands of women and girls returning home from South Africa, handing over dignity kits at a formal ceremony on 20 July 2026.

The handover was officiated by Minister Monica Mutsvangwa of the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development. Working alongside several partners, UNFPA Zimbabwe loaded kits onto trucks and distributed them to returnees who had fled South Africa amid rising anti-immigrant hostility.

Why Zimbabweans Are Leaving South Africa

The return of Zimbabweans has been building for months. Anti-immigration groups issued ultimatums demanding undocumented foreigners leave South Africa, fuelling fear of targeted violence and job losses. At the same time, the South African government's decision to phase out the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit left hundreds of thousands of documented Zimbabweans facing the threat of deportation, pushing many to leave voluntarily to avoid five-year re-entry bans.

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More than 160,000 undocumented migrants self-repatriated to neighbouring countries since late May 2026. South Africa's Department of Home Affairs processed over 53,000 foreign nationals for deportation or voluntary repatriation, with the Beitbridge border post becoming a central processing point for returning Zimbabwean citizens.

Dignity Kits for Women on the Move

The kits handed over by UNFPA Zimbabwe contain essential health, hygiene and personal care items. They are designed to protect the dignity and wellbeing of women and girls during one of the most vulnerable moments of their lives: the journey home and the difficult process of starting over.

The Zimbabwean government, alongside international humanitarian organisations, set up transit and reintegration centres at Beitbridge to safely receive and process the tens of thousands arriving at the border. The dignity kit distribution forms part of that broader emergency response.

President Cyril Ramaphosa condemned the vigilante violence that drove many migrants out, stating that only state authorities hold the legal mandate to enforce immigration laws. Hundreds of individuals linked to public violence against migrants are being prosecuted by the Department of Justice.

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For the women receiving these kits, the small bags and boxes being unloaded from trucks represent more than supplies. They are a first gesture of care after an often frightening journey back to a country many left years ago during Zimbabwe's economic collapse.

See the handover on X:

More on Zimbabweans and life back home

• Briefly News recently reported on a Zimbabwean mother whose R700 dairy grocery haul had viewers stunned by exactly what local currency could buy.
• An American TikToker living in Zimbabwe revealed a python has taken up residence inside her home's walls, with removal nearly impossible.
• A young Zimbabwean man ended up in hospital after a shocking encounter while walking home from local shops in Hwange district.

Source: Briefly News