The Social Cohesion and Diversity Challenges of Zimbabwean Emigrants in South Africa.

The historic meltdown in the Zimbabwean economy and the violent nature of the country's politics since the year 2000 triggered a massive exodus that swelled the diaspora population, particularly in South Africa. The arrival of Zimbabweans in the diaspora, triggered diversity challenges. These included social cohesion and integration. Although some scholars have examined the impact of immigration on social cohesion and integration in the new society, little is known about how Zimbabweans settled in many parts of the world. Nor is there a clear, scientifically constructed understanding of the nature of relationships with relatives and acquaintances who remained in the country. This paper seeks to bridge that gap in knowledge by providing the results of a study that was carried out in Chimanimani District of Manicaland Province of Zimbabwe. Semi-structured interview guides were used in an exploratory study to facilitate conversations with a judgmental sample of twenty-eight people who left Chimanimani District for South Africa. Thematic content analysis was used to analyse the data. Diversity brought about high levels of mistrust with their neighbours, verbal and physical xenophobic attacks, identity crisis, general family disorientation and disintegration were cited as some of the consequences of the forced migration into the diaspora. Most of the respondents expressed a strong desire to return home once the political and economic situation improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]