Chilima Foundation donates K10m to Malawians fleeing Xenophobic attacks in South Africa

Hundreds of Malawians forced to flee escalating xenophobic violence in South Africa are being helped by a K10 million donation from the Saulos Klaus Chilima (SKC) Foundation, as government renews calls for more support.

The returnees — many of them women and children — have been sheltering at the Mwanza Stadium Reception Centre since being repatriated, often arriving with little more than the clothes they left in.

Blankets, plates, buckets and pots were handed over in Lilongwe this week as part of the foundation’s relief effort.

Director of Recovery and Resilience at the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA), Fwayupi Mwafongo, used the handover to appeal to companies, foundations and individuals of goodwill to step up support for the repatriates, many of whom have returned home with nothing after being caught up in South Africa’s ongoing wave of xenophobic attacks.

SKC Foundation trustee Professor David Mkwambisi echoed the call, saying the foundation’s support was deliberately targeted at the most vulnerable among the returnees.

“Our support is targeting women and children who are finding it hard at the Mwanza Stadium Reception Centre,” Mkwambisi said.

The donation comes as concern grows over the welfare of Malawians caught in South Africa’s xenophobic unrest, with reception centres like Mwanza Stadium struggling to keep pace with the numbers arriving home.