Bulawayo, Zimbabwe – In a heart-wrenching turn of events, Zibusiso Sibanda, who recently returned to Zimbabwe after spending 25 years in South Africa, discovered that both his parents had passed away and their family home had been sold. The 45-year-old now works as a car washer and parking marshal on the streets of Bulawayo, struggling to rebuild his life from scratch.

“My name is Zibusiso Sibanda and I am 45. I went to South Africa in 1998 to look for better life opportunities,” Sibanda told The Sunday News. His journey, however, was fraught with challenges and misfortune. In South Africa, he undertook various jobs, including working in restaurants, but was frequently arrested and detained due to lack of proper documentation.

“Lady Luck was not on my side as I was always in and out of prison for things like not having proper documentation, among others. I couldn’t keep the many jobs that I got owing to the arrests and detention,” Sibanda recounted.

The tipping point came in the final years of his stay when he was found in possession of what was suspected to be stolen property. Unable to provide receipts, he was arrested and placed on remand for several years. Eventually, he was sentenced to eight years in prison, a development that devastated his life.

“Being sentenced to prison ruined my life as my parents passed on while I was behind bars,” he said. Sibanda’s mother died in 2019 and his father in 2020, during which time the family home in Magwegwe North was sold as his father fell ill.

“I later benefited from parole and was deported last year. When I got back, I was informed that my mother had passed on in 2019 and my father the following year in 2020. I was told that when my father fell ill in 2020, he sold the house. So when I came back, I had nowhere to stay and I had nothing on me since I was coming from prison,” Sibanda lamented.

Homeless and destitute, Sibanda resorted to living on the streets behind Bulawayo Central Police Station. Despite his dire circumstances, he is determined to forge a new path forward, working as a car washer and parking marshal to make ends meet.

The plight of Zibusiso Sibanda is a stark reminder of the struggles faced by many Zimbabweans who leave the country in search of better opportunities, only to encounter harsh realities and unforeseen tragedies. His story underscores the urgent need for social support systems to aid those returning to their homeland under similar distressing conditions.- State Media