390 Malawians arrive home from xenophobic South Africa

April 20, 2015 Mphatso Nkhoma -Nyasa Times 125 Comments

At around 8:30 p.m. local time on Monday the six South African buses Malawi government hired to ferry first group of 390 Malawian nationals repatriated from South Africa arrived back home with sombre mood.

Returnees at Kamuzu Stadium being addresed by Minister of Home Affairs Atupele Muluzi
Returnees at Kamuzu Stadium being addresed by Minister of Home Affairs Muluzi.-Photo by Mphatso Nkhoma, Nyasa Times
One of the buses which carried returnees.-Photo by Mphatso Nhoma, Nyasa Times
One of the buses which carried returnees.-Photo by Mphatso Nhoma, Nyasa Times
A returnee being photographed .-Photo by Mphatso Nkhoma, Nyasa Times
A returnee being photographed .-Photo by Mphatso Nkhoma, Nyasa Times
Returnees undergoing first screening.-Photo by Mphatso Nkhoma, Nyasa Times
Returnees undergoing first screening.-Photo by Mphatso Nkhoma, Nyasa Times

The returnees arrived at Kamuzu Stadium in Commercial city of Blantyre Monday evening from Durban, South Africa.

They were welcomed by i Minister of Information, Tourism and Culture, Kondwani Nankhumwa, who is also government’s spokesperson, and Home Affairs and Internal Security Minister, Atupele Muluzi, among other government officials.

Among the 390 returnees are men, women, and children between 6 months and 12 years old.

Most of the returnees were conspicuously in destitute situation putting on tattered slippers; some were even bare footed and in shabby clothes.

Nankhumwa said the Malawians had “lost everything”, including their passports.

More buses are expected from Tuesday onwards as the total number of Malawians trapped in South Africa has now reached 3,200 and according to Nankhumwa.

He said 60 more buses have been hired to ferry the stranded Malawi nationals back home.

The returnees are scheduled to undergo screening by immigration, social welfare departments before will be handed over to the Department of Disaster and Management Affairs for logistics to get them dispatched to their respective homes.

Hundreds of Malawians escaping poverty back home move to South Africa every year in search of work.

Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
Follow us in Twitter

125 replies on “390 Malawians arrive home from xenophobic South Africa”

  6. It is both sad and happy moment to welcome our loved ones home.Indeed,what they went through break our hearts,but we must not over react to the extent of ruining our friendship between us and our brothers in South Africa that dated back to more than 100 years ago.At the same,we must realise the fact that in no time,you will find most of our brothers,will make the trips back to South Africa,because as it is,Malawi would not afford to give jobs to these young people due to its disorganized and corrupt economy which will take decades to stabilize.We must also not forget that,Malawi government under MCP leadership,did not help our brothers in South Africa to liberate their country from the most barbaric regime in the world.It is Tanzania,Zambia and Mozambique who bore the blunt of the South African liberation struggle.We must be considerate and ashamed of our past evil deeds.

  7. ENANU MUDANYANYA. MUDATHAWA KHASU.XOOL NNEEE! ZOVALA KUTOTENGERA MU SAKA BAG WA KU JONI KUMAKANGOMWA KACHASU WA UCHEMA. PANO MWABWERA PHAZI LIRI BARE NGATI MUKUOLOKA MTSINJE WA LINENGWE. NDALAMA IJA MUDAKONGOLA KUTI MUPANGIRE TRANSPORT NDIKUIFUNA. MUKAMACHOKA PA STADIUM MUNDIPEZA PA KHOMO PANU NDITAFIKA KALE. ULESI BASI

  8. s.a citizens they pretend lyk savages ilipo dziko lomwe lingazdalire palokha?i hate this stupid south africans,togelther with their man with long pumpkin head and an2 ena samaganiza anzanu avutka ndpamene mukunyadla tkagule ma fon motchpa mukuyesa ndzosangala b serious somtymz kaduka bas mukuganiza ndtonse tngakhale mumaofes?

  9. Boma takuthokozani kuti mwakanyamula abale athu.

    Koma aboma tili odabwa kuti you are hiring buses from the very country that is caused us this pain. This is very suspicious. Komatu dziwani kuti ndi zimenezi zomwe zikubweretsa umphawi which is a cause of all these problems.

  10. I am married to a malaiw it is very sad to me as a south african too let my husband go but he is scade i have to until this evil act is stop am very sad

  11. The hired buses belong to a South African company based in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.
    Apologies to all who are victims of this xenophobia.

  12. Pepani kwambiri abale anthu mwaluza katundu wambiri yemwe mwamuvutikira kwa zaka zambiri koma tingoyamika kuti mwafika ndi moyo Ambuye alemekezeke

  14. Some comments are so grieving,umphawi is another greater war,munthu anganyade ndi foni? Kungoti onenayo analibe foni.zili ngati munthu osakwatira akawona mzake wakwatira,ndiye akumayendayenda ndi mkazi wake ,amati akunyada ndi banja.kaduka si umuna man,pangani zanu,awawa amapsnga zawo.

  16. What I do know of people who go into foreign lands and stay, generally they are hard working and usually succeed in their business. They stay because they can sustain themselves with out depending on any one . To have these foreigners in your country is a great blessing if you are oppen minded you can learn a lot from them, not to hate them because they are un stoppable by circumstances . I do remember how the working zimbabweans have taught zambians how to venture business.
    Zambians never had known how furniture as private interprise neither did they know pots nor washing basins a lot mor businesses which zambians do they learnt from zimbabweans . Rearly these zimbabweans industrious who need to be emulated they are a great people

  17. makamaka mulamu iwe, unkachita mwano kuti sudzabwelanso kuno, kuzunza ana ako kuno, suyu wabwelako, unya uona.

  18. What I do know of people who go into foreign lands and stay, generally they are hard working and usually succeed in their business. They stay because they can sustain themselves with out depending on any one . To have these foreigners in your country is a great blessing if you are oppen minded you can learn a lot from them, not to hate them because they un stoppable by circumstances . I do remember how the har working zimbabweans have taught zambians how to venture business.
    Zambians never had known how furniture as private interprise neither did they know pots nor washing basins a lot mor businesses which zambians do they learnt from zimbabweans . Rearly these zimbabweans industrious who need to be emulated they are a great people

  19. Sorry my brethren,life goes,time heals wound.To our government thank you for your caring,it has been a tough year 2015,while busy to uplift our economy much disstas arise to suffocate our economy further,but we can cry only to God almighty.and our new must remember that sad beginning makes a happy ending,God is in control.

  21. Yah no this really feels bad – but I am sure most of our brothers and sisters know deep in their hearts, that the majority of us in south africa, do not agree with violence.

  22. home is best my dear Malawians. Enanu mudachoka mutathawa katapira kapena bank mkhonde. Mukunya muona. Munkanyang’wa mukabwera ndi timaphone lero tafanana

  24. Abale n alongo pa zonse chofunika ndi moyo gwirani ntchito chuma chiliko kuno Malawi.khama limapindula osatenga makwerero kutimupeze chuma.

  25. You are welcome ma member but remember once time spend will never come back. Go to the president’ cabinet and ask for a starker pack loan to start small businesses and set a committe which will be running ur grouping so that the money should be refunded back to assist other xenophobic victims. We have everything here in Malawi but we do not utilize them. Let’s think first what makes our brothers and sister to go to SA. so that we shd start to fix the problems from the grassroot level. Among other things, Malawi can revive what was then the Malawi Young Pioneer (MYP) just to practically equip our youth with different expertism. Anyway, you are most welcome to warm heart of Africa.

  26. Bravo APM.Mukuchita handle bwino nkhani zimenezi.Vuto simakampani amu South Africa .Inu anthu muli ndi mwawi oyankhula kapena kulemba musamale osawasokoneza Amalawi.Kamuzu anane osazunza alendo.Bingu Oyee! Tilimbikitse Msanje port idzakhala Dubai side by side with Mozambique, Zambianso kuigawira ka portion.Ma kampany onse aku South Africa onse adzabwera okha.Asapezeke odana ndi makampany.

  27. Yayi tamupokererani kuno ku Malawi kweni mungalutangaso yayi kuno nako ndalama ziliko kurya nako tikurya kasi tawanyinu tikukhala uli usange ndalama kulije kwako ni kwako pliz plis dont think of going back to USA again u lose ur life despite some of them they have already gone due to this (xenophobic attack)

  28. Welcome back ma brothers n cctaz feel @ home .its our country if Allah allows we shall be back there for wat is ours over there!

    1. Muzilankhula moganiza….mawa ndinu,nkutheka sizakhala xeno imene ingazachitike kwa inu komabe vuto ndi vuto

  35. I appreciate for the Malawi Government’s effort still much has to be done.This is the time where good and sound economic policy need to be formulated and implemented to avoid these kind of problems repeated.

  36. Koma camera imawajambula anthuwa ….ayi anthu maso ngati catoon mu m dima.. any way we love you people, am very happy that you here alive some of your friends did not make it …Thank God for that ….

  37. that’s better than dying in a foreign land.May God protect some who r still here like me. All the best fellow Malawians home z best

  38. Im South African and apologise on behalf of my fellow south africans for what has happened to our brothers and sisters. The pain caused by the criminals claiming to be fighting for the resources. This was so unnecesary and wrong. We love Africa, we loveve Africans, We are Africans.

  42. A dark day in the history of post – independent Africa. This is totally against the ideals of the fathers of the liberation struggle. Even Madiba would not have condoned such savagery, brutality and selfishness. This needs a prayer.

  43. WHY SHOULD WE BE BOTHERED WITH THESE PEOPLE? WHEN THEY WERE GOING TO JONI WE DID NOT KNOW, SOME OF THEM WERE EVEN STAYING THERE ILLEGALLY. THEY DDESERVE THAT. AMBIRI NDI ATUMBUKA NDI ATONGO AMENE AMAKONDO KU JONI. MWAKAULA.

  45. God will take care of you our dear brothers and sisters.Trust in Him and will know surely that he is God and no powers can go beyond His powers and no mercy is ever known from any source apart from Him.

  46. O God bless our land of Malaŵi,
    Keep it a land of peace.
    Put down each and every enemy,
    Hunger, disease, envy.
    Join together all our hearts as one,
    That we be free from fear.
    Bless our leader, each and every one,
    And Mother Malaŵi.

    Our own Malaŵi, this land so fair,
    Fertile and brave and free.
    With its lakes, refreshing mountain air,
    How greatly blest are we.
    Hills and valleys, soil so rich and rare
    Give us a bounty free.
    Wood and forest, plains so broad and fair,
    All – beauteous Malaŵi.

    Freedom ever, let us all unite
    To build up Malaŵi.
    With our love, our zeal and loyalty,
    Bringing our best to her.
    In time of war, or in time of peace,
    One purpose and one goal.
    Men and women serving selflessly
    In building Malaŵi.

  53. Komati mulowetsa nazo ma Nigerians muno odzaba ma passport kuti adzilowera ku UK, bwinotu?

  54. The biggest challenge many countries face is how to prevent mediocre people from becoming leaders. This is the result of bad leaders who love themselves more than their country, love their friends and tribesmen more than their country, love their political parties more than their country, love their own fame more than their country and thus the countries and citizens suffer terribly. These Malawians returning from SA were not supposed to go there in the first place. What were they running away from Malawi, and what are they looking for in SA ? Just look at the thousands of people dying in the Mediterranean sea running away from troubles of their countries because mediocre and selfish so called leaders. Shame shame shame on all bad leaders all over the world. Bad leaders cause human suffering in many places in the world

  55. Vuto ndi unemployment, anthu akafika 60 azipangadi retire osati za month to month, what for? ana akusowa chochita nkumakazuzika kwa eni. Komanso tiganize mabelekedwe dziko ndilaling’ono ili ana mpaka 8 or 10 masiku ano sizitithandiza, malo ndi ochepa.

  56. Bolani mwabwerako, nanga zomwe amuchita waku mozambikizija ndiyemmmmm,tisaguleso ku shoprite,Game,ndi Pep, mukunva inu ankhutukunve aaaashit

  57. The sheer large numbers of Malawians doing menial jobs in South Africa and the state of condition they appear, says alot about Malawi.

  58. Takulandirani nonse kuno kumudzi khalani omasuka. Koma nonse nda Malawi? Musatibweretsereso xenophobiatu kwthu kunmo. Komaso anthu amene mwabwera kuno sizoti mutisowetse mtendere pomatiberaso ai. Mwabwera kuno pangani zachilungamo ngati momwe boma la Malawi lakukonderani inu. Sizoti mudzanyozetse boma kuti lakatenga akuba ku SA ai. Lemekezani dziko lanu powonetsa chitfsazo chabwino. Nanu akatakwe amene mwakhala mukuba kuno musaonjeze ndicholinga choipitsa dzina la anthu amene abwera kuno kwawo chifukwa chamavujto. Boma likumangani ndipo silikusiyani nonse.

  63. I hope the hired buses are not owned by a South African company. If that is the case, then we are rewarding South Africa for ill treating our people.

  69. Thank you Government for this humanitarian effort….a few things have to be looked into here; while it is appreciated that the folks are back home, we have to know that these are desperate souls and they need to find a way into the economic stream for their survival. They have learnt abit of skills in South Africa including the tsostsi way of life which they might not have imagined putting to a test but given the psychological torture they have been through, and the feel of wasted time, these people might resort to putting their lessons into practice within their localities. This may include things as small as stealing chickens, drinking beer without paying, disobeying leaders and elders in the name of “a victim or survivor of xenophobia ” ascertained by government. Some of them might have been longing to come home or they are comfortable being home after a lengthy stay outside the country. These people might have a little savings here and in South Africa as well which will help them going. Over 90 percent of people who return home abruptly , or without proper planning, end up returning to wherever they were be it in Africa or overseas in a bid to restart in a more focused way which then takes forever. Over 90% of these people fall in that category and having stayed in Durban since the days of the cheap and loose passport, they were keeping their fingure prints away from the immigration at home as well as at Beitbridge.the new biometric passport system which gives them the trouble of having to send their passports for monthly visa endorsements or for permanent safe keeping at home all in the hope of keeping it usable should they find themselves back home in such fashion. Some of those who claim to have lost their passports, have not lost them but they kept them safe from the eyes of the immigration for use during a time like this and don’t be suprised if you don’t see them in their home villages immediately after their arrival or after the ending of the xenophobia in Durban. The repatriation of these fellows creates a feeling of job opportunities NOT among South Africans but among MALAWIANS because there are jobs right there that are surely guaranteed for Malawians because of certain reputations that they have historically and culturally. Remmember how the bosses that side ask their Mangochi boys to invite their brother from home to cover their post while they come home on Christimas holiday? Ad we all say there are job opportunities there during festivities because of the vacations people take, How many job opportunities are there now with this massive vacation? Are these jobs in the shops, whose owners are foreighners, for the panga wieldering Durban Satanic messengers? Will the owner of the shop feel safe to employ someone he can not discpline and fire when he misbehaves since he is a proud knife user? So To My GOVERNMENT, tread with caution when dealing with these people. OF COURSE DONT GIVE THEM THE IMPRESSION THAT THEY ARE KINGS AFTEER TRAVELLING FREE FULL BOARD BUT BEWARE THE BIOMETRICS YOU ARE CAPTURING ON THEM. I SEE A SINISTER MOTIVE BEHIND THAT ACTION..Having been offered a free ride Home DOES NOT take away their right to travel back to RSA or anywhere in the world should they wish to do so. If you get the opportunity to know that they were in South Africa while their passport was here, that question is for your border officers as to how He or She travelled to South Africa without a passport or how the passport traveled from South Africa without the owner. Please avoid a home grown version of the one in Durban…remain blessed

  70. I thank government for the gesture it has shown by repatriating our brothers and sisters back home though the buses that have transported came from the same barbaric rainbow nation. Buses were supposed to be hired from Malawi

  71. takulandilani ndi manja awiri a bale athu, momuja mudatisiira tikulima fodya boma kumangotibera ndie inu kumabwelaso momwe mudapitira opanda kalikose aaaaa! napepe.

  74. Muli zgoli zgoli apa ngati zeni-zeni agulukunyinda inu. Munkathawa khasu kumudzi kuno kupita ku Joweni ngati madolo.

    Takulandilani kuno ku Malawi. Mukumana ndi zokhoma zambiri ndipo ambiri mwa inu mukathera ku ndende chifukwa cha umbava.

    It’s time for you to face the sweet chin music.

  77. welcome home am dreaming if govt could give you a starter pack of earning a living but gosh that cannot happen

  82. South Africa must be punished for this. They can not kill innocent people simply because their own government has failed to control the job market!

  86. Welcome home! We need to figure out how we can create more employment for ourselves here in Malawi. It you can make.it in south Africa you can use the skills you learnt to start a business here. South Africa will suffer without you.

  88. Kodi athuwa akuwonera mpira? kkkkk!! “Kwa eni kulimbe nkuwe”. “Kwa ziyeni, kwangawalika kasote”
    Tiyeni tizikalima amangwetu!! mwakhala zaka zaka koma osasintha pamene anzanu ku mudzi kuno akuthamangathamanga zikuyenda.

  89. Bare footing itinene chifukwa cha xeno mene zimachitka ndiye kuti anataya nsapato kapena mwayi wa chuma kumeneko sizinayende. Ayi zocheza ife kunalibe koma takulandilani. Limbani mtima gwilani ntchito momuno ziyenda basi

  91. warning to my fellow malawians, ngati mumathawa umphawi kumalawi and now you hav come back in that way, you must learn something, NOTE: there is no way you can run away from poverty the thing is to work extra harder to overcome poverty, now you can see some of you you have come barefooted, just imagine that a pittey, plz i ask you to learn how you can overcome poverty, coz this has brings shy to our nartion.

  93. Lord have mercy to all Malawians affected to this barbaric attack!God forgive South Africa because it doesn’t know what it is doing!

  97. Welcome home. It doesn’t matter whether you lost everything for as long as you are alive you can pick up the pieces as start all over.

  99. We have a serious humanitarian crisis, Malawians are being butchered in South Africa …… What does Mathanyula do? …… He leaves the country to go and wine and dine with the Negros in the USA. This dunderhead has no leadership skills at all. No sense of direction…….this DPP administration makes me so sick!

  100. welcom back guys, staying in SA is like hiding in a lion’s den but this time you have escaped straight from his mouth. its good you are back, those hoes are still our number one farm technology and cashgate seems to have taken new dimension. its all about crying for spilt milk and crambled cookies. home is indeed home.

  101. Tampokelerani kukaya kuno.Twapochere akuno kumusi. Akasadandaula kwejinji, akuno kwana malo gakulima gamajinji.

  104. welcome back home,zose ndichabe bola moyo,since the figure has dramatically risen up,the govn should also source more fund 4 fert and houses subsidy prog.what abt job creation programme?kwanumkwanu mthengomudalaka njoka,akazi ndiana awona bambo pafupi tsopano.

  106. Sad boutta ze situation.Its you are in the shower & the whistle blows then you run away without anything on you apart from the slippers.They were economic refugees in SA but now are homeless/helpless refugees in their own Nyasaland.Hard Luck.

  110. If we take a moment to think about what is happening in Nigeria, Libya, Middle east and now in South Africa where innocent people are being killed, we can see that the devil is at work. However, Jesus Christ is the greatest weapon against all demonic powers. What we need to do is to bow our heads in Prayers.

  113. For those who are not affected, donot hestate just come back home promptly. “Chiziulika zikamupoka mahomwa.”

  115. Dnt wry gyz, zats life full of ups n’ down. tiyen nawoni magobo panyasaland pompano zithaso kuyenda even more than akupangani nkhazako. bola kulimbikira.

  116. Welcome back home our relatives.East or West home is best.Money is not everything.Peace of the mind is most important.We will share the little we have and lets build our impoverished Malawi by working very hard and one day God will bless us than being hacked by machetes by illiterates thugs from some dirty soweto.Lastly welcome home.Thanks Malawian Govt for taking the initiative.

  117. Fucken South African ulesitho azungu mabunu couldnt trust them thats why akabwera ku Malawi kuzatenga anthu nthawi ya Theba pano chifukwa chaku they havent achieved anything nsanje kwa anthu obera. How can they say akuwathera ntchito when foreighner are doing business. Asiyeni this South Africa will be like Zimbabwe one day and the shall come to our coutries. Shame on you stupid Zuma and your King he need to go to Herg for crime against humanity. This King asaname aphesa anthu asatikuti anthu sanamuvetsetse curse on him.

  119. Umphawi siupha muthu, welcome our brothers and sisters to your free country of warm heart of Africa.

  122. Tsono ma bus mukuchita hayala aku south . Can’t we hire from our own local bus companies, or Zimbabwean coaches? Even if the cost might be higher but it means our money remains in Malawi. And that is why we are saying patriotism must start with government itself.

  124. This is heart breaking. Could government or some reputable human rights organisation consider setting up a fund to which we could contribute some money which could help these returnees as they resettle back.

    Mr Mayaya please make reparations high on the letter you are handing over to SA embassy tomorrow. Our brothers and sisters must be compensated.

Comments are closed.