By Own Correspondent
CAPE TOWN, South Africa — Zimbabwean children stranded in Cape Town cried under rain-soaked blankets Sunday as authorities moved families who had spent days outside the Zimbabwean Consulate to a Department of Home Affairs repatriation centre in Epping after they fled threats linked to a June 30 deadline set by anti-immigrant groups.
Hundreds of Zimbabweans gathered outside the consulate in District Six last week with children, blankets, bags and little food.
Some families spent up to five nights sleeping on the pavement while they waited for help to return home.
Humanitarian organisation, Gift of the Givers said the number of people seeking help rose sharply.
The organisation estimated the crowd grew from nearly 1,000 to almost 3,000 people.
Eyewitness News reported that more than 2,000 Zimbabweans, including women and children, spent Sunday night at the Epping centre.
Heavy rain fell Sunday morning as authorities moved families from the consulate to Epping.
The South African Weather Service had warned of disruptive rain, with 30mm to 60mm forecast over Cape Town and the Cape Winelands.
“My children cried through the night,” said Sandra Mabika, a Zimbabwean mother of two. “The blankets got wet, and I did not know when our turn would come.”
For children, the wait meant more than delayed transport.
Some slept outside with little protection from the cold.
Others went for hours without proper meals, warm clothing or clean toilets.
Parents said babies cried as families tried to keep them warm with donated blankets and plastic-covered bags.
“Volunteers erected tents Saturday night, but they could not shelter everyone,” said 32 year old father of 2, Tatenda Mupinyuri.
Mothers wrapped babies in blankets as rain soaked luggage and bedding.
Some children cried while families waited for buses to Epping.
The plight of Zimbabwean children stranded at the consulate and Epping centre has raised concerns over shelter, food, sanitation, medical care and safe transport.
Gift of the Givers project manager Ali Sablay said the organisation stepped in to support stranded families.
“We are seeing to their humanitarian needs in terms of blankets, bottled water, sleeping mats, hygiene packs and baby care packs,” Sablay told Eyewitness News.
Sablay said many mothers with babies needed more than food and blankets.
He said some feared taking sick children to clinics because they lacked documents or worried buses would leave without them.
As authorities prepared for possible unrest, President Cyril Ramaphosa urged South Africans not to take immigration enforcement into their own hands.
“I must make it clear that only the authorised government officials may act against violations of the law, including violations of our immigration laws,” Ramaphosa said in a June 7 address on migration.
Some parents said the sudden movement also disrupted their children’s education.
They said children left books, uniforms and classrooms behind as families chose safety over the school calendar.
“My child was going to school, but I could not leave her behind,” said Nokuthula Mpala.
“I was scared. I just wanted us to reach Bulawayo alive.”
These children are likely to face challenges in getting admitted to Zimbabwean public schools, as the school term is already midway.
Zimbabwean officials have started assisting citizens who want to return home, but families said they need faster processing, clear information and safe transport.
