Thuso Khumalo
It’s a few days before Christmas, and migrant bus terminals in Johannesburg are buzzing with people heading home for the holidays. After a year of working in Johannesburg, Zimbabwean Mavis Sithole is among those homebound.
“This is an opportunity to go and be with my family. I’m so very happy. I will be coming back to work in January, so I will have much time to be with my family and my children. I’m so excited.”
Adam Chirwa is at the Malawian bus rank along Kerk Street in Johannesburg heading for Lilongwe. It’s a trip that will take him up to three days, but he is ready for it so he will be home on Monday - Christmas Day.
“I’m very excited. I’m going home to see my family and my people. Thank you, South Africa. I’m going home. I wanna come back soon.”
However, not all migrants are returning home for Christmas. Zimbabwean national Tafadzwa Magwenzi is at the Park Station bus terminus, but just to send a small bag of food items to his mother in Harare.
“I don’t have money to go home. I will go next year. Now, I’m still looking for money. We are here because we don’t have a choice, but we are not happy. The country is already finished. To come to this side is just a waste of time.”
Nigerian Benjamin Akinyemi cannot take a bus to his home town in Abuja, so he has to fly. A return flight from Johannesburg to Abuja will cost around 875 US dollars. He has spent the whole year preparing for this trip and is about to take off from OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg.
“It’s quite a good thing to celebrate this Xmas time with family. You know Nigeria is a nice place to celebrate your Christmas.”
Once Christmas is over, the stressful journey back to South Africa will begin for these migrants, but that’s an issue they are prepared to put aside for another day.
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