ZIMBASSY · ZHRO · CHIEF NDIWENI
CHIEF NDIWENI EXPOSES HIDDEN ZIMBABWEAN REFUGEE CRISIS IN SOUTH AFRICA: HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS LIVING IN SQUALOR, EXTORTED BY POLICE
| Chief Ndiweni, a senior Zimbabwean traditional leader and democratic advocate, has returned to the UK with firsthand testimony and a UN-supported report documenting a hidden crisis: hundreds of thousands of Zimbabwean refugees living in squalid, secret enclaves across South Africa, systematically extorted by South African police who demand up to 3,000 Rand for their release. ZHRO states the crisis is a direct and measurable consequence of 46 years of ZANU-PF misrule in Zimbabwe. |
| Date: | Saturday 18 April 2026 — Zimbabwe Independence Day |
| Issued by: | Zimbabwe Human Rights Organisation (ZHRO.org.uk), Zimbassy.org and Zapu.org |
| Contact: | see Contact section |
| Witness: | Chief Ndiweni — available for media interview |
The Hidden Crisis
Chief Ndiweni, a traditional Zimbabwean chief who attended the G7/G8 meeting in South Africa in his capacity as a recognised community leader, remained in South Africa following the summit to conduct a direct investigation of conditions facing Zimbabwean refugees in the country.
What he found was a crisis that South Africa has kept largely hidden from the international community: hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans — a figure the Chief estimates as running well into the hundreds of thousands — living in large, squalid informal enclaves with no legal status, no access to services, and no protection from either the Zimbabwean or South African state.
Chief Ndiweni spent an extended period inside these communities in his capacity as a chief, taking his responsibilities to the displaced Zimbabwean community with the utmost seriousness. He subsequently met with United Nations representatives in South Africa, who confirmed the substance of his findings in a joint report.
Police Extortion: The Going Rate
The Chief’s report documents a systematic pattern of extortion by elements of the South African Police Service (SAPS). Zimbabweans without documentation — who cannot obtain documentation without exposing themselves to deportation — are effectively kidnapped by police officers and released only on payment of approximately 3,000 Rand (approximately £130).
This represents, for the communities involved, an enormous sum — often the equivalent of weeks or months of income for those engaged in informal labour. The payment system is not incidental corruption but an organised, recurring racket that has been independently corroborated by Human Rights Watch, the Forced Migration Studies Programme, and South African civil society organisations.
Crime activist Yusuf Abramjee described the practice as “nothing less than extortion” — “an illegal cash-for-freedom racket from inside police stations” — in a statement that went viral on South African social media in February 2026.
The Causal Chain: From Harare to the Limpopo
ZHRO states that the South Africa crisis is not a South African problem. It is the direct, measurable human cost of 46 years of ZANU-PF misrule in Zimbabwe. The causal chain is straightforward:
| ZANU-PF destroys Zimbabwe’s economy, political system and rule of law ↓ Zimbabweans flee — crossing the Limpopo River (and its crocodiles) with nothing ↓ Refugees live in hidden enclaves in South Africa: no documentation, no healthcare, no education, no legal protection ↓ South African police extort 3,000 Rand per person for release. Vigilante groups attack. Healthcare is denied. ZEP permits are cancelled. ↓ Return to Zimbabwe is impossible — the conditions that caused flight have not changed. To stay is to suffer. To return is to perish. |
The Scale: What the Research Confirms
Academic research published in January 2026 in the journal Humanities and Social Sciences Communications confirms the trap these refugees face: ‘everyday life is organised by internal bordering — bureaucratic obstruction, street-level policing, workplace coercion, and housing exclusions — that renders migrants continually deportable even when deportation does not occur.’
A peer-reviewed study published January 2 2026 confirms ‘pervasive issues such as prejudice, discrimination, xenophobia, and language barriers, which exacerbate the migrants’ vulnerabilities and make it difficult to support their families.’
South Africa cancelled the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit (ZEP) programme, affecting approximately 180,000 documented Zimbabweans who had lived legally in South Africa for over 12 years. The undocumented population — the hidden communities Chief Ndiweni entered — has no such permit and no legal recourse whatsoever.
In June 2025, in a particularly stark illustration of the crisis, more than 100 Zimbabweans who had fled xenophobic attacks that killed at least four people were themselves arrested by Home Affairs officials for immigration violations.
Chief Ndiweni Statement
| “I have sat with these communities. I have heard their stories. I have seen their conditions. These are not statistics — they are Zimbabwean men, women and children who crossed the Limpopo with nothing because ZANU-PF made Zimbabwe uninhabitable. They are the living proof of what 46 years of ZANU-PF rule has done to our nation. The UN is aware. The documents exist. The international community must now act — not only to address the conditions in South Africa, but to address the cause: the ZANU-PF regime in Harare that made these people refugees.” — Chief Ndiweni, Zimbabwe traditional leader and democratic advocate, April 2026 |
Four Demands
ZHRO and Zimbassy are calling on:
The UK Government:
- Raise the South African refugee crisis as a direct consequence of ZANU-PF governance in all bilateral discussions with both Harare and Pretoria
- Condition UK-Zimbabwe economic engagement on verifiable improvements in human rights conditions
- Support a formal UN investigation into SAPS extortion of Zimbabwean migrants
The South African Government:
- Immediately investigate and prosecute SAPS officers engaged in systematic extortion of Zimbabwean migrants
- Restore and extend humanitarian protections for Zimbabwean refugees under international law
- Engage ZHRO, Zimbassy and Chief Ndiweni in a structured dialogue on humane, long-term solutions
The United Nations:
- Formally publish and act upon the joint UN-Chief Ndiweni report on conditions in South African Zimbabwean communities
- Escalate the situation to the UN Human Rights Council as a matter of urgent concern
NOTES TO EDITORS
- Chief Ndiweni is a recognised Zimbabwean traditional leader. He attended the G7/G8 summit in South Africa in an official capacity and subsequently conducted an extended firsthand investigation of Zimbabwean refugee communities
- The UN report referenced is held by Chief Ndiweni and ZHRO and is available to accredited media
- ZHRO (Zimbabwe Human Rights Organisation) is a registered UK company (No. 12099469)
- This press release forms part of the wider ‘Rebuilding a Democratic Zimbabwe’ Independence Day launch — see the companion press release for full details
ENDS