A distressing video footage shows a Zimbabwean mother begging on the streets of Pretoria with two of her young children before being chased off by an African woman from Pretoria and prompts outrage online.
Nkululeko Sibanda shared this video that captures an intense moment between an anxious Zimbabwean mother and an indignant South African women, where one shouted that tourists might mistakingly think they are South African but were foreigners begging like in Zimbabwe; further, saying the other needed to destroy our image by leaving Zimbabwe, so she should go back there immediately.
Zimbabwean mother with children trying to leave while being repeatedly encouraged by passersby has attracted widespread online condemnation from commenters who criticise how she and her kids were treated, while some also raised questions regarding increased begging activity nearby.
According to witnesses, this woman and her children could often be found begging in Pretoria streets; many locals expressed alarm about this growing trend of street beggars; yet due to video evidence depicting harsh treatment shown towards this individual from local South Africans and Zimbabwean nationals living within South Africa’s borders, more questions than answers remain regarding tensions and perceptions between South Africans and foreign nationals, particularly Zimbabweans, living there.
Local authorities have yet to weigh in, while social media users have expressed a variety of reactions: some support the mother, criticising harsh words and actions from another individual who confronted her, while others express anger over street begging in local communities.
This incident illustrates the ongoing challenges confronted by Zimbabwean migrants living in South Africa, where economic hardship and job scarcity have caused many of their nationals to seek alternative means of survival.
While South Africa hosts a substantial population of Zimbabwean nationals, tensions often emerge in areas that experience economic strain, resulting in animosity or miscommunication among its populace.
Human rights groups have advocated for an approach that is more compassionate in this matter, encouraging both local authorities and communities to devise solutions that protect the rights of vulnerable people, including migrants and beggars forced into poverty-driven beggary.
