49% of women intend to stay in South Africa, while 49% intend returning to Zimbabwe and
2% are undecided. The men are more committed to staying in South Africa, with 66%
intending to do so. The need to return to children could well be a driving factor for women.
Out of those who intend to stay in South Africa (n =246), 31% indicate that they have no plan
as to where to go next, and would go anywhere that they thought they might get work. 40%
want to go to an urban area from De Doorns, preferably in the Western Cape, while 14% are
prepared to stay in a rural area. What is very obvious is that the vast majority that intend to
stay in South Africa have no real plan on what to do next or where to go: their lives are in a
state of flux and uncertainty from one week to the next.
51% of women and 41% of men intend to return to Zimbabwe. Interestingly, only 35% of men
felt that it is safe to return, and 49% of women, which means that some of the respondents
intend to return even though they feel it is not safe. Most people cite both socio economic and
political reasons for it not being safe to return.
Chart vii: length of time spent in South Africa
Chart viii: showing if Zimbabweans intend staying in South Africa beyond April or not
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