Relief fades for migrant Zimbabweans fleeing South Africa
A wave of anti-migrant violence in South Africa has forced thousands of Zimbabweans to flee back to their home country. Many returnees, including those who suffered physical abuse, are currently seeking shelter and humanitarian aid in the border town of Beitbridge.
Why it matters
The mass displacement highlights rising xenophobic tensions in South Africa and the humanitarian challenges of managing sudden, large-scale migration flows in the region.
Tichaona Magomazi, 35, stands beside his luggage on the roadside outside Beitbridge town on July 10, 2026, after returning to Zimbabwe. ZINYANGE AUNTONY / AFP
BEITBRIDGE, Zimbabwe - Stitches zigzag across the left side of Shingirai Kurebwaseka's head, after he was badly beaten in a wave of protests against undocumented migrants that have swept South Africa.
The 35-year-old Zimbabwean had his right arm encased in plaster and his left foot supported by a splint and wrapped with a plastic bag.
"They beat me all over, smashed my foot with a hammer, burned me with some plastic papers which they had lit and were going to put a tyre around me but I somehow still managed to escape," he told AFP.
South Africa -- the continent's wealthiest nation -- has long been a magnet for migrants.
But for weeks, it has been swept by protests and deadly violence against foreigners.
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