Contextual background to the rapid increase in migration from Zimbabwe since 1990
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Date
2017-01
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Zululand
Abstract
This paper provides a contextual background to and causes of recent emigration from Zimbabwe. With
an estimated quarter of the population currently living outside Zimbabwe, migration from the country is
unprecedented. The country is now ranked as one of the top ten migrant-sending countries in subSaharan Africa that include Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Eritrea, Nigeria, Mozambique, South Africa,
Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Periods of migration are divided into sections, beginning
with the war of liberation (1960-1979) to 1990; 1991 to 1997 and 1998 and beyond. Migration was
caused by inter-related factors ranging from political and economic instability, poverty, low returns to
labour, unemployment, increased informalisation of the economy, fluctuation in prices of basic
commodities and their erratic supply. Migrants from Zimbabwe are a diverse combination of people of all
ages that include professionals, semi-skilled and unskilled workers, documented and undocumented
migrants dispersed in countries in the region, predominantly South Africa and Botswana, and far-flung
countries like the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Whereas in the past male migration was dominant, by 2000 women have migrated in almost equal
numbers with men.
Description
Peer reviewed article published under Inkanyiso journal, Volume 9 Number 1, Jan 2017, p. 27 – 36
Keywords
Zimbabwe, migration, causes, period, unemployment, political, economic and social instability
Citation
Madebwe, C. and Madebwe, V., 2017. Contextual background to the rapid increase in migration from Zimbabwe since 1990. Inkanyiso: Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 9(1), pp.27-36.