Zimbabweans living in South Africa are increasingly becoming victims of targeted violence, fueled by political developments in their home country—specifically the controversial Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 (CAB3).
The bill seeks to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term from 2028 to 2030, an initiative widely referred to as the "2030 agenda."
South African mobs have taken to the streets, demanding that black immigrants return home to "fix" their own countries.
For many Zimbabweans, CAB3 has become a direct threat; mobs in Johannesburg and other areas have specifically targeted them, insisting they return to Harare to confront Zanu PF’s misrule and halt the extension of Mnangagwa's presidency.
“They said we must go back to Zimbabwe to stop the Bill,” said Tafadzwa Mukoni, a Johannesburg-based vegetable seller who lost his livelihood and shelter during recent unrest.
“They told us, ‘You want your leader to stay forever, but you are hiding here. Go and fight for your country’”.
The proposed constitutional changes are sweeping. Beyond the term extension, CAB3 aims to scrap direct presidential elections and abolish the Zimbabwe Gender Commission.
Public hearings on the Bill within Zimbabwe have already been marred by political violence and infighting within the ruling Zanu PF party.
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The situation has become so precarious that Zimbabwe’s Embassy in South Africa recently advised its citizens to remain indoors to avoid xenophobic attacks.
According to reports, mobs are labeling Zimbabweans "cowards" for failing to address the political crises that drove them across the border.
Political analyst Reuben Mbofana warned that the 2030 agenda has weaponised migration discourse, framing it as "political avoidance".
“Ultimately, the 2030 agenda provides a new catalyst for old prejudices,” he argued, noting that the complexities of economic collapse and state repression were being ignored.
While analyst Vivid Gwede described the attacks as "deplorable," he insisted that the solution ultimately lies within Zimbabwe.
“Zimbabweans' long years of economic and political exile have become untenable,” he said, adding that until domestic reforms are realized, the crisis of migration will remain a flashpoint for regional tension.
Based on South Africa’s 2021, census data, approximately one million Zimbabweans are living in South Africa, making them the largest group of foreign nationals in that country.
However, the number is believed to be much higher as most of the Zimbabwean people in South Africa are undocumented as they don’t meet requirements to obtain work or residency permits.
Over 180 000 unskilled Zimbabwean were given special permits, which are due to expire next year.
