Zimbabwe’s many exiles face tough choices

As news broke that Zimbabwe’s president Robert Mugabe had resigned there was an eruption of celebration. It was an emotional landmark moment for

Zimbabweans, some of whom have been in selfimposed or forced exile for a long time.

I am a Zimbabwean who has been exiled in

South Africa for 27 years, as long as former president Nelson Mandela was imprisoned.

When I left Zimbabwe at the age of 25, I was disillusioned and abandoned a budding banking career to seek greener pastures. Little did I know that I would remain in South Africa for so long. Three of my four children were born in this country.

The fall of Mugabe leaves Zimbabweans all over the world with a dilemma. Some have acquired citizenship of other countries, others have married in their host countries, and many children have been born in exile.

Apart from the occasional phone and video calls to grannies, aunts and others, many of these children don’t know their relatives in Zimbabwe, let alone travelled back due to prohibitive costs and logistical challenges.

Many have had to deal with the agony of not being able to go back for funerals of loved ones and have therefore not been able to reach proper closure.

There is no doubt that developments in Zimbabwe throughout Mugabe’s rule led not only to political and economic suffering but to emotional and psychological trauma as well.

Many family members left the country in search of better opportunities, leaving behind spouses and children. Many met new people and fell in love, forgetting their vows, leading to break-ups in marriages.

The end of Mugabe’s reign will lead to even more agony. Older Zimbabweans, born and bred in Zimbabwe but now in exile, will feel a sense of the impending freedom and want to return “home”, while their children will have no sense of connection to a country where they know no one.

Spouses who have never been to Zimbabwe may not be willing to relocate, with the consequence that many families will split and their children will grow up with single parents.

Once the celebrations have ended and the dust settles, Zimbabwe has some serious issues to deal with.

Apart from ethnic and political divisions and the tattered and ruined economy, the nation will have to confront the psychological wounds of Mugabe’s rule.

Emotional trauma is probably the more difficult challenge to deal with, as families are usually on their own, with little or no external support. The international community might be sympathetic and prepared for the economic and political rehabilitation, but is seldom in a position to assist individuals and families.

Many Zimbabweans have suffered the agony and indignity of living under assumed identities as they could not be legally documented through work permits, permanent residency or citizenship.

Many therefore fall victim to unscrupulous and corrupt police officers who demand bribes on a daily basis.

While South Africa has been good to foreign nationals, many have been beaten up, starved, insulted, raped and even murdered during their stay or while travelling in the country, or during deportation.

But in spite of crime, South Africa has offered many Zimbabweans a decent environment to raise their families. Many will feel eternally grateful and indebted.

Zimbabweans are only now trying to correct the mistakes of almost four decades and, given their skills, hard work and resilience, one hopes that the country will soon become successful.

If South Africa is not careful and makes the wrong political choices, it could well be South Africans trekking northwards in a few years’ time. After all, as they say, the wheel turns!

The nation also has psychological and emotional trauma to deal with

Fengu is a Zimbabwe-born business consultant living in Johannesburg