YOUNG people in Matabeleland North are still leaving the province for South Africa in search of better opportunities despite government efforts to empower youths through land allocation, employment creation and vocational training programmes.
This was revealed by Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs and Devolution minister Richard Moyo during an interview in which he outlined government initiatives aimed at improving livelihoods for young people in the province.
Youths in Matabeleland North migrate to South Africa to escape chronic unemployment and severe climate-induced droughts that have devastated local livelihoods.
The decades-long exodus is driven by a mix of deep-rooted economic factors, geographical proximity and cultural traditions.
Some of the primary drivers of the migration include severe unemployment due to lack of industries and limited formal job creation in the Matabeleland region leaving school- leavers with limited prospects locally, forcing them to seek opportunities across the border.
There are also recurrent, severe droughts and erratic rainfall in districts like Lupane and Binga that have severely compromised subsistence farming and livestock rearing.
Migration to South Africa has also been attributed to an entrenched practice in the region, dating back to the colonial era when men were recruited for South African mines.
In many communities, migrating to South Africa has become a rite of passage for young men seeking financial independence while the geographical closeness of Zimbabwe's southern provinces to South Africa makes the journey relatively straightforward.
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However, in an interview with Southern Eye, Moyo said the second republic oversaw the reopening of companies and mines across different parts of Matabeleland North, creating employment opportunities for youths.
“We now have new factories, new mines and many young people are now working and being employed,” he said.
The minister said government rolled out empowerment programmes targeting youths in agriculture, including the allocation of 10-hectare plots to the youth in areas such as Lupane.
He added that some youths were provided with tractors to assist other young people in farming activities.
According to Moyo, vocational training programmes were being promoted to equip school-leavers with practical skills that can help them to be self-reliant and reduce migration.
Despite the programmes, Moyo acknowledged that many youths from districts such as Tsholotsho and Lupane continue to migrate to South Africa soon after completing primary or secondary education.
“There are some children who, after completing Grade Seven or secondary school, go to South Africa,” said Moyo.
He noted that life across the border was difficult for some migrants, who struggle to secure jobs or other stable livelihoods.
The minister said government believed empowerment initiatives and vocational skills training could discourage youths from leaving the province by creating opportunities closer to home.
Zimbabweans and other foreign nationals have, however, been subjected to renewed xenophobic violence in South Africa sparking a diplomatic crisis with neighbouring countries.
Protests and attacks targeting African migrants have spread across Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape. The protests are characterised by looting of foreign-owned businesses, vigilantism and demands for removal of undocumented foreigners.
South African authorities have condemned the violence and promised to crack down on illegal migration and businesses hiring undocumented workers, but rights groups have criticised the government for lack of accountability and slow prosecution of perpetrators.
