Abstract:

The socio-economic and political impositions within African states in general and Zimbabwe in particular at the start of the new millennium have forced a host of workers into sundry parts of the world to prospect for better opportunities. Southern African countries of Botswana and South Africa, owing to their relatively sturdy economies and comparatively dependable human rights records, played the major hosts to the bulk of these migrant workers. Hordes of workers (of skilled, semi-skilled and general) flocked to the borders to escape their conditions back home. However, such a drift in search of the so-called ‘greener pastures’ met with varied outcomes. The paper documents the state and dynamic circumstances of these migrant workers in South Africa and Botswana in the 21^st Century. It analyses how this state of affairs has impacted on migrant worker’s livelihoods. The paper analyses the pertaining situation of migrant workers vis-a-vis the internationally accepted labour standards. The research also focuses on the effectiveness of Workers’ Unions (or lack of) meant to represent their needs.

Keywords: Migrant Labour, International Labour Organisation, slavery, greener pastures.

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