Johannesburg: As the economy in Zimbabwe gets tough, the influx of both young and old Zimbabweans into the already flooded South African job market hoping for employment continues to rise.
A survey by ZimEye.com’s correspondent in Johannesburg revealed that more than 70% of Zimbabweans living in South Africa are unemployed and depending on a few relatives who are employed mostly in menial jobs. With companies back home either closing down or retrenching wantonly, thousands of hopeful Zimbabweans are finding their way to South Africa hoping to get employment which on its own is very scarce in the richer Southern African country.
A snap survey in the streets of Hillbrow in Johannesburg showed a gloom picture of thousands of Zimbabweans roaming the streets with nothing to do or moving from shop to shop begging for employment.
The Zimbabweans amongst them very highly qualified personnel from the country’s universities and colleges, claim to be looking for any employment that will give them just a little money for their upkeep in South Africa and be able to send some back home.
Bernard Mpofu, a qualified diesel plant fitter who graduated from a polytechnic in Zimbabwe and was retrenched when a once huge Bulawayo transport company closed down early last year says he has been roaming Johannesburg looking for employment since April last year. In that period he has only been able to get “piece jobs” either as a security guard or relief waiter at shopping malls in the city of gold.
“Things are tough here, I have sent out hundreds of application letters for any jobs that come up but nothing is forthcoming,” said Mpofu.
Asked if he may consider going back home since the job opportunities in South Africa are very low, Mpofu insisted that he will never consider going back to Zimbabwe because of the country’s slumping economy.
“I will never go back to Zimbabwe, would rather suffer here doing piece jobs and hope to get a job one day than go back to Zimbabwe where there is no hope that one day I will get a job” he added.
Going down into Yeoville, Beria, Parktown and other suburbs surrounding Hillbrow and Johannesburg CBD, thousands more Zimbabweans are found also either roaming the streets aimlessly or basking in the sun. When interviewed the desperate Zimbabweans echoed Mpofu’s sentiments blaming the Zimbabwean government for their demise. They however insist that they would rather suffer unemployment in South Africa where they can manage to scratch around and pick up a few Rands than in Zimbabwe where the economy is forcing people to survive on less than a dollar a day.
Asked why it was difficult to get employment in South Africa, the Zimbabweans complained of the difficulties they face in getting proper documentation that would allow them to work as professionals. They also put the blame on the recent xenophobia outbreaks claiming that employers are now afraid to employ Zimbabweans in fear of being attacked by local South Africans in the event that the xenophobia violence resurfaces.
Others blamed the newly enacted South African labour laws that restrict the numbers of foreigners that a company can employ at any onetime. The immigrants also put the blame on South African Police who continuously follow them up at the work places arresting them or demanding bribes as most do not have proper residence documentation that allows them to work. This results in many hours of work lost forcing employers not to employ the foreigners.
Recent media revelations in South Africa revealed that the country is faced with a high rate of criminal activities perpetrated mostly by unemployed foreigners. The reports also reveled that thousands of Zimbabwean nationals are languishing in South African prisons for crimes caused by desperation of being unemployed yet with expectant families back home.
The survey also revealed that nearly half of ladies “working” as sex workers in and around Johannesburg were Zimbabweans. Some of the ladies spoken to claim to be qualified teachers, nurses and other professionals but have had to resort to prostitution to take care of their families back home. Some even claim to be officially married back home with their husbands unaware of the business they are involved in.
In the streets of Hillbrow, Beria and Yeoville almost every vegetable vendor on the pavements is a Zimbabwean national. Vendors at traffic lights in the up market suburbs in Johannesburg are also predominantly Zimbabweans.
What is more shocking and disturbing is that Zimbabwe has not only exported it’s able bodied people into desperation in South Africa, but almost all the disabled people begging for financial assistance at the street intersections are Zimbabweans.
Zimbabwe currently has a 90% unemployment level with most industries closing down. South Africa on the other hand still enjoys a growing economy and it’s unemployment levels on its citizens standing at 11%.