The government of Zimbabwe has said 11 074 Zimbabwean citizens have so far returned home since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Mr David Musabayana indicated that hundreds of more returnees were expected to arrive adding that the government was preparing for their arrival. He said:
In terms of total returnees, as at the 7th of July, we had 11 074, of those males, are 6 073 and females are 5 001.
The country that has given the most in terms of returnees is South Africa, which has given 5 043 returnees, followed by Botswana with 3 628 and Namibia with 357. From Mozambique, we have had 487 returnees and from Zambia, we had 248.
Outside of Africa, from the United States of America, we have had 263 returnees and a further 241 from Miami, while only 174 have returned from the United Kingdom. From China, we have had 580 returnees.
Foreign Affairs Minister, Dr Sibusiso Moyo said there were over 300 Zimbabweans who were released from various prisons in South Africa and Zimbabwe negotiated that they are kept at the detention centre while necessary arrangements are made for their deportation.
The government recently claimed that scores of Zimbabweans, among them students, were stuck mainly in Asia.
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