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Dr Masimba Mavaza

One thing I have learnt in life is that no matter your age, no matter how many years you have or haven’t worked in your home country, and no matter your educational background or financial standing, working abroad for a while (or forever) can be a wise and adventurous move, but sometimes it can be an experience you will regret. 

The benefits of moving abroad for work include professional, personal and interpersonal development and growth. 

You will want to make sure you are properly prepared in order to get the most out of it. And you don’t need to be poor to do it. Going abroad is motivated by need to get more for some and to get a life for others. 

Many people have moved abroad with no money.

 For some, the career, cultural, and personal benefits outweigh the challenges they will face living as a foreigner abroad. 

For others, they don’t. If you can’t bare to think about missing your siblings’ birthday parties, missing social gatherings, soccer practice, or the first time it rains you may need to step back and ask yourself where you are going to be happier, because it can be lonely abroad and in some countries very dangerous. 

John Mandaza told his story in this this way:  

“In April 2018, my wife and I moved to London from Zimbabwe. Starting a new life abroad had been a long time dream of ours. And while we did plenty of research and self-reflection before the move, there were a few surprises waiting for us across the pond.

“Expat life has been pretty amazing so far, but it’s not without challenges. From grocery store frustrations to making friends abroad, there are dozens of little difficulties and differences that can wear on you over time. The most shock I received was the level of racism. 

“I got a house in a place called Northampton. My house was the second from the corner. My neighbour from the left is a wonderful neighbour. His goodness is contradicted by the neighbour on the right. This one is the neighbour from hell. She will knock my door at 12 midnight to tell me to switch off my lights because she is seeing the light and its disturbing her sleep. 

“Sometimes she will ask me not to start my car because it wakes her up and disturbs her. She will sometimes call the police on us and say she suspects we are selling drugs. I try to engage her, but she would hear none of it. 

“At work, people will always say to me — How did you come to UK? How did you learn to drive? Questions which degrade you and makes one very angry.”

Taurai Matambo had his own sad story to share. 

He got a job as a truck driver in South Africa and as a foreigner, all is not well. 

“This day I was driving from Durban to Pretoria,” he said. 

“I was to offload my load and proceed to Johannesburg to pick another load. As I drove on the highway I came across a roadblock manned by a group of angry men. I was yanked from the car and thrown on the floor. 

“I hit the tarmark with my stomach, my head hit the pavement and I bruised my chin. Before I could  adjust to my pain, I felt a strong pain flushing across my face. I was slapped by one of the men. They called him commander. In a flush I was pulled up and stood against my car. 

“I was slapped again across the face. I could not cry, I was so sure I was going to die. The commander then asked me to give him my driver’s licence. The moment he saw my licence he was infuriated. 

“Why are you driving a truck in South Africa? Are there no trucks in Zimbabwe? I could not answer-the questions. The other men started beating me up together with my assistant. My assistant was Mozambican. I saw the commander stamping on his head. He only said one word. “I am dying for nothing” after these words he groaned in pain. 

“Under the heavy boots of his assailant, Domingo breathed his last. I was terrified. The men turned their beating skills on me. They assaulted me all over the body. In a pool of blood, I was left to die. They took the lorry and they drove away living me swimming in my own blood.”

Taurai started sobbing. 

Tatenda Mangisi from South Africa narrates how his leg was amputated by a gang of South Africans who are all out to chase away foreign drivers. 

 He now stays in Johannesburg with his leg amputated on the knee level. 

Tatenda met the gang along N1 Highway where he was told that South Africans no longer wanted foreign drivers. 

“So, to make sure that I will never drive again they were to remove one of my legs,” he said. “The guy told me that they will cut off my leg from the knee level.

“Before I could respond, I was struck with a machete on the right leg. I fell to the ground in a pain I had never felt before. The gang drove off living me covered in my blood. I do not remember what happened after that. I woke up in Baragwanath Hospital.  My leg was not saved. Up to now I do not know how I was taken to the hospital.

“It’s so infuriating how the South Africans are treating us now. So, to celebrate my years of “expataversary” l have decided to tell truth. Starting a new life abroad is more exhausting than you’d think. Depending on your citizenship and personal circumstances, starting a new life abroad can be overwhelming.” 

Mark Masiya, who is in England said:

“We also had to sell our home before moving abroad, which was a roller coaster ride I don’t care to repeat! Even with the benefit of an immigration lawyer and a relocation agent in London, the entire process left us feeling run down and stressed out. 

“Believe me: the tingling excitement of starting a new life abroad wears off quickly when you’re trying to track down every date you traveled outside the Zimbabwe in the last 10 years. 

“Going abroad makes you to give up your evenings and weekends (and probably a lot of money) getting your life and paperwork sorted.You’ll miss the strangest things about your old life. We expect to miss big things like our family members or old houses, and we mentally prepare for that. But these small pieces of our old lives quickly become unexpected, glaring absences.”

Perkins Matereke from Hull City said: “Managing money as an expat is complex between our Zimbabwe and UK savings, credit cards, and investments, we have over a dozen accounts to manage across multiple currencies.

“When you’re trying to pay bills, invest for retirement, and save for the future, things get complicated quickly! Though we had some fixed, predictable costs, we could only estimate other expenses like groceries, transportation, and personal care. 

“And with international money transfer fees, there was a lot of pressure to minimize the movement of funds between our accounts. Having a solid budget is essential. Personally, I’ve found that Mukuru is the best budgeting app for expats because of how it handles multiple currencies.” 

Caleb Mukinya, who is a lorry driver in South Africa said:

“Things for me started very good. I got a job as a truck driver and I was doing the South Africa-Zimbabwe-DRC route. I was making a stable income, at least there was food on the table. Now it is difficult to get a job as a lorry driver. 

“Jobs are everywhere, but the South Africans have turned to be intolerant. Our boss gave us a leave without pay until the situation changes.” 

Commenting on the events in South Africa, the Zimbabwe Diaspora member Mr Robert Sanduka said: “The events in South Africa are so disheartening and surely demonic. The bloodthirsty attitude of the South Africans against truck drivers exposes the lack of wisdom engulfing some South Africans. 

“The way fellow Africans have suffered in South Africa at the hands of the black South Africans shows the ignorance and the most the shocking ungratefulness by the South Africans.”

Dr Gozi Elumogo a lawyer in the UK said:

“The silence of other African countries when their nationals are being butchered shows that African leaders have let the continent down.”

Amanda Simelani, a Swazi in the UK was horrified when she saw a video of a Zimbabwean being assaulted for driving a lorry. 

A truck driver, Union Mabhande said: 

“The carnage witnessed in the South African highways aimed and perpetrated against other African lorry and truck drivers is demonic.”

Mandinema Mutombwa commented — “Migration is a political lightning rod in domestic politics, but what happens when domestic practices breach international rules? It is clear that crime in South Africa is not caused by foreigners. As human beings, foreigners do commit crimes, but they can never teach South Africans how to kill.

Writing on the cruelty of some of the South Africans, I said: “Tensions remain high between Africa as a whole and South Africa, as thousands of truck drivers are being held in political limbo. South Africa must know that respectful and tolerant societies are typically the most harmonious. To get through the challenges of the 21st Century, we are going to need to learn to overcome racism and bigotry.”

Dr Lovemore Nganunu commented from the United Kingdom: “Being treated differently or unfairly because of our race, skin colour or ethnicity can negatively affect our mental health.”

Mr Brian Musasa Moyo a business man in the UK said: “The experiences of being treated differently from others because of skin colour, race or ethnicity meant that our brothers in South Africa live with constant fear or anxiety. They have started to avoid doing the same things that other people simply do without thinking about.

Professor Lumumba wondered: “How a South African believes that a doctor from Zimbabwe has taken his job when he has not seen the door of a primary school? The ignorance by the South Africans is very thick. 

Xenophobia threatens the lives and livelihoods of refugees, asylum seekers, economic migrants and other locally defined ‘outsiders’ including domestic migrants and ethnic minorities. 

“Beyond such political influences, our human culture strongly influences our attitudes and behaviour, modifying our human drives — either suppressing them or encouraging them further.”

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