Dar es Salaam. The government has finalised a comprehensive voluntary repatriation programme to bring back its citizens currently living in South Africa.
The initiative follows directives from President Samia Suluhu Hassan to enable individuals to return home and reunite with their families after having lived in South Africa for a long time.
Executing this large-scale repatriation exercise requires close co-operation between the Tanzanian High Commission and South African authorities.
According to a notice issued by the Tanzanian High Commission in Pretoria the programme will be executed in phases across different provinces.
The primary objective is to ensure that all returning citizens complete the necessary legal and logistical procedures to arrive safely in Tanzania, where they can continue participating in various social and economic activities, as well as nation-building.
The first phase of the repatriation will focus on 241 Tanzanians currently residing in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal Province.
This group is scheduled to return to Tanzania on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, aboard an Air Tanzania Company Limited aircraft departing from King Shaka International Airport in Durban.
Before embarking on the journey, the returnees will undergo a verification process on Tuesday, August 26, and Wednesday, August 26.
“This processing will take place at the City View Mall, located at 10 Mathews Meyiwa Road in Greyville, Durban, with the centre opening from six o'clock in the morning,” reads the statement.
The High Commission has laid out specific guidelines for Durban applicants, noting that the exercise will cover individuals without passports, those whose passports have expired or been lost, and children born in South Africa to Tanzanian parents.
To facilitate their return, those completing the process without passports will be issued Emergency Travel Documents.
Furthermore, the High Commission has urged registered Tanzanians to remain patient as arrangements are completed, specifically requesting those holding Asylum Seeker Certificates to remain at the designated processing centre until their Voluntary Repatriation Permits are processed.
Following the departure of the first group from Durban, the second phase of the programme will focus on approximately 300 Tanzanians residing in Cape Town, who are expected to return during the first week of September.
High Commissioner, Mr James Bwana said early this week that the official date for this second journey will be announced by the Embassy as soon as preparations are finalised.
“The remaining citizens, who will complete the overall total of 669 repatriated Tanzanians, will form the final group departing from Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, on a date to be announced in due course,” said Mr Bwana when outlining the plan.
This national assistance program was mobilised after the citizens themselves formally requested government support to return to their homeland.
Reflecting on the President’s commitment, Mr Bwana emphasised that the government received the request with the intention of enabling its citizens to return to their country.
"The Honourable President has welcomed them back home and has directed me, as her Ambassador here in South Africa, to ensure that Tanzanians who are ready to return voluntarily are enabled to do so," said Mr Bwana.
He added that the government had arranged all transport logistics to make the transition as smooth as possible for the returning citizens.
"We welcome them home to reunite with their relatives, families, and friends, and to continue with nation-building activities," he said.
