This Tuesday we broadcast part two of our investigation into the plight of illegal Zimbabwean immigrants as they cross the Limpopo River into South Africa. We once again follow Godknows Nare, a Zimbabwean filmmaker who lives in South Africa . Godknows meets up with 17-year-old Brenda Ncube from Bulawayo who “jumped” the border with a group of fifty illegal immigrants. She is now travelling south to Joburg.
Brenda has a sick mother and is unable to find employment in her home country. Struggling with rising inflation and 80 percent unemployment, Zimbabwe faces serious economic meltdown. Brenda says her only chance to survive is to head for Johannesburg where, she believes, she can make “good money”.
She ends up in Johannesburg and finds a temporary place to stay. A day later all the residents are evicted by the “red ants” and she finds herself on the streets. She struggles to find a job, realising that Joburg is not what she expected. The city brothels are teeming with young women coming from Zimbabwe who are unable to get work. Many illegal foreigners don’t even get as far as that though. Special Assignment has exclusive footage of the so-called “kraal” in the inner city, where girls who owe the traffickers money, are sold to the highest bidder. They literally become someone else’s property.
Brenda eventually manages to find shelter in the Central Methodist Church. Until now, NGOs and churches have helped the thousands of illegal foreigners battling to survive, but the situation has become so dire, that a holistic plan is needed as the influx from Zimbabwe gathers pace. In response, the Joburg Metro announced recently that it is setting up a “foreign desk” to deal with the problem.
In the meantime. Brenda faces an uncertain future.
N1 South is told by Godknows Nare, and was written and produced by Johann Abrahams.
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