Ministry of Foreign Affairs says alert over xenophobic attacks in South Africa
Officials from Ministry of Foreign Affairs say the government is on the high alert to repatriate Malawians living in South Africa following reports of xenophobic attacks that have resurfaced in Rainbow nation from last week.
Spokesperson for the Ministry John Kabaghe said as of Monday, they have not documented any attacks on Malawians in South Africa.
Kabaghe said Malawians should stay away from areas where there are attacks and those that feel insecure should report to the Malawian embassy.
An international relations expert Chimwemwe Tsitsi said the Malawian embassies should adopt the modern ways of alerting its citizens of any looming danger to keep them safe.
Many South Africans now are converging under a spotlight movement “Operation Dudula” who are calling themselves original South Africans who want freedom from all undocumented illegal foreigners to be deported from their land.
This is according to eNCA News updates.
This means that according to some South Africans, to be a involved in xenophobic attacks to undocumented foreigners is not breaking the law, it is breaking rules guiding the society.
The xenophobic attacks resurfaced after a provincial Health minister in Limpompo told a Zimbabwean patient in the South African hospital bed was draining resources meant for South Africans.
Former President Joyce Banda condemned this and accused the Limpompo Province Health Minister of lacking morals.
The Minister had told the patient that Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa should foot his bill.
But in an interview with Sabc, Banda said it was a pity that some African leaders are more focused on occupying leadership roles than serving their citizens.
She was responding to the debate in South Africa around what Limpopo Health minister Dr Phophi Ramathuba said to a Zimbabwean national who was admitted in hospital in the province.
Ramathuba has this week received criticism for telling the patient at a Bela Bela hospital that South Africa is not running a charity organisation.
She said Zimbabwean patients are not factored in the Provincial Health Department.
Banda has urged African leaders to address challenges facing their respective countries.
“The main issue that we are faced with is that of poverty and helplessness of our young people.
“The lack of job opportunities if this continent of 54 countries.
“Each country will be busy finding ways of creating job opportunities,” adds Banda.
Meanwhile, Ramathuba defended her statement.
Ramathuba says: “I do stand by its content because I need to share that understanding that we [are] not doing anything to our surgical backlog. People are abusing the system when they hear that the MEC is coming to this district with special care.”
“They leave their country, enter SA illegally [and] come to our hospitals.
“The South Africans whom we did this budget for are unable to get operated because they are still flooding even our initiatives. This is an initiative outside our daily work,” says Ramathuba.
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