Zimbabwe evacuates nationals from South Africa

ZIMBABWE is evacuating its nationals caught in anti-foreigner violence that has left scores dead in South Africa.

The country's ambassador to South Africa Isaac Moyo on Friday said Harare would begin the repatriation of about 1,000 Zimbabwean citizens affected by the attacks in the eastern port city of Durban on Sunday.

"Identification and processing of repatriation documents has already been done," Moyo told the state-owned Chronicle newspaper.

Sixty-five foreign nationals are on board one of the 9 buses heading back to Zimbabwe from a temporary refugee camp in Chatsworth. AFP Photo

Hundreds of foreign nationals queue to register with South African Home Affairs officials to go back to Zimbabwe, at a temporary refugee camp in Chatsworth. AFP Photo

There are some 250,000 Zimbabweans in South Africa, making them the biggest community of foreign nationals in the country.

Most Zimbabweans travelled to South Africa to escape the economic hardship that gripped their country after a wave of unrest in 2008.

On Friday, over a hundred people marched outside the South African embassy in the Zimbabwean capital, calling for an end to the violence.

A foreign national and her daughter waves goodbye to friends as hundreds of people are returning to Zimbabwe from a temporary refugee camp in Chatsworth, south of Durban. AFP Photo

"We, the people of Zimbabwe standing in solidarity with our brethren in Africa, strongly condemn and denounce the cruel, senseless and gruesome xenophobic slaughter of foreign nationals and the looting of their properties in South Africa," read a petition signed by 15 civil society groups.

"Why (are they) killing them? They came in peace", "One Africa for all Africans" and "Save our brothers and sisters from xenophobia" read some of the placards at the Harare protest.

The violence started in Durban three weeks ago, after Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini was reported last month to have said foreigners should leave the country. He has since claimed he was misinterpreted.

Hundreds of foreign nationals wait by their belongings before boarding buses heading back to Zimbabwe. AFP Photo

Durban has a large number of Zulu speakers loyal to the king.

More than 1,000 people have been forced by the wave of violence to seek safety in camps.

Mozambique and Malawi have also announced they would help their citizens return home.

AFP