Xenophobia: Malawi repatriating its nationals from South Africa
Malawi government has said it has begun the “voluntary repatriation” of its citizens, in the wake of ongoing xenophobic violence in South Africa that authorities say has claimed dozens of lives, displaced thousands including Malawians.
Hundreds of people from Malawi, Burundi, Zimbabwe and Congo have reportedly fled their homes since xenophobic attacks and looting erupted two weeks ago.
The violence began shortly after Goodwill Zwelithini, the reigning King of the Zulu nation, publicly said that immigrants should pack their bags and leave the country. Similar comments were also made by South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma’s son, Edward.
Malawi government spokesman Kondwani Nankhumwa said the government has been working to repatriate those who had immigrated to the country.
He said Lilongwe is mobilising resources to repatriate atleast 400 Malawians rendered destitute and some of them injured.
“We are repatriating out citizen to come back home safely,” Nankhumwa, who is Information Minister said.
“The situation is really tense as about 360 Malawians are stranded in South Africa following xenophobic attacks there,” Information Minister said.
He said the Malawians targeted had “lost everything”, including their passports.
Nankhumwa said:”Logistically our embassy (Malawi High Commission in South Africa)is in touch with the South African government to facilitate processing of temporary travel documents for our countrymen and women who have lost their passports. Wew hope this process will be done this week”
The minister said Ministry of Foreign affairs and International Cooperation officials are on the ground to bring back some people by the end of this week
He said government will also carry a civic education Malawians who are trekking to South Africa for economic migration to stop until the situation normalises.
The violence has damaged South Africa’s reputation in Malawi as a haven for foreigners in search of employment and wealth.
Malawian law university lecturer Sunduzwayo Madise said Southern African Development Community (Sadc) and African Union leaders should “demand an emergency meeting” with South Africa President Jacob Zuma to “stop these senseless and savagely attacks on foreigners.”
“If the South Africans don’t want other Africans in their country; let’s tear up the SADC Treaty for a start; and sanction their goods, services and businesses. Let us see if an implosion will not result as the fever catches the global market,” Madise wrote on his Facebook Timeline.
Nankhumwa has since promised government will assist those who needed to be evacuated back to Malawi.
Malawians are being housed in tents on a sports field waiting to be repatriated back home in buses.
Meanwhile, some Malawians refuse to leave South Africa, as they would rather stay in hiding than face poverty and hunger in their own country.
Violence against African immigrants in South Africa is common, with impoverished locals accusing foreigners of taking their jobs and business.
The government has condemned the violence, with President Jacob Zuma sending a team of officials to assess the situation.
“We reiterate that there can be no justification for attacking foreign nationals,” Zuma said on Sunday.
Zuma said not all foreigners in South Africa were in the country illegally and many contributed to the economy with their skills.
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Wow sad news 2 all malawian who have our fellow relative they’re homeless due 2 xenophobia dat based in south africa.2me wat l see de sadc committe should pull openly Zuma and askng y he endorse his servant 2do wrong thngs like dat.as apresident of de republic hve responsibility 2 baned all dat attend voilent 4 lyf in prison.
South Africans r found everywhere in the world for various reasons, should we say every RSA national must not be found anywhere else but in their country alone? This is not logical let’s scrutinise the leaders. Maybe they are not psychologically sound to lead humans.
Wow only this year we are facing four most challenging issues! Donors retreating, low rains in other regions, floods in some districts and xenophobia in SA! Aaaa lets not cease in Praying for our national Malawi!
Indeed UN and SADC should intervene,sanctions should fall upon the S.A and for harasing foreign national i would even wish Zuma.s son and that stupid ngoni chief sent to ICC Hague for causing chaos that is claiming more inn.. lives.Should we also start killing ur people and close ur citizen shops like Game and Shoprite take care we are also tired of you.
African countries should united and ostracize South Africa and her citizens.
Every company owned by South African should be confiscated.
South Africa should be expelled from UN if is not dealt with soon. Also other SA abroad should be expelled too to there country.Sorry
TODAY THEY HATE THEIR FELLOW AFRICANS
THEY ARE THE NOTORIOUS ZULUS WHO ARE WELL KNOWN OF THE MFECANE SOMETIMES BACK IN HISTORY.
I agree with Sunduzwayo Madise SADC must intervene in this situation nevertheless Malawi Govt through immigration department as a role to play by disseminating information to illiterate Malawians who wants to immigrate to RSA about the dangers they might encounter.Just imagine illiterate Malawians leaving side by side with illiterate indigenous South Africans and its us who become vulnerable.
Much as I condone the indecent act of killing and torching, but i find it doesn’t make much sense for a foreigner mpaka kutsegula ma grocery mmakwalala ndi mmidzi and you expect eni ake kumakusekererani. It is out of our own stupidity that we allow Burundians kumagulitsa ufa ndi zina mmakukamu koma ambirinu zimakupwetekani and ndi mwayi chabe kuti a Malawi ndi anthu a mantha bwenzi zili chimodzimodzi ngati ku Joni. The citizen only try to show some sense of ownership and belonging. unfortunately, in a disgusting way. A malawi ambiri ali ku Joni anathawa sukulu, makamaka a chawa. Olo atabwerako ndipovuta kuwapatsa ganyu kwathu konkuno coz ndi ma bulutu okhawokha anazolowera ku Joni kugwira ntchito zakalavula gaga
Greedy,Selfish,Cowards,ruthless,Selfcentred,Capitalistic,Nepotic,Opressing,Idotic readers of our’s are the one to blame how can they let the amwenyes and other foreign and Govt institutions to be paying someone MK20,000.00 a month,50 years of nothing but poor readers with poor thinking capacity.Fuck this country
Umbava Ndio Wachuluka Ku Jon
Mangosuthu Buthelezi is the founder of imkata freedom party and him as a Zulu tried to distabalise RSA in 1990s however Mandela was genius he handled him well,now it’s the king Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu the descendant of Shaka Zulu wants immigrants to leave RSA and his comments are backed by Muziwenkosi Zuma the son of president.What i am trying to say is Zulus are haters and they will never come out as good political readers in RSA.Jacob Zuma is a wolf in sheepskin.Credt to Walter Susulu,Giovan Mbeki,Oliver Tambo, Nelson Mandela,Thabo Mbeki and Winnie Mandela all Xhosa by tribe.Come home my fellow Malawians we are poor but we don’t hate each other.
it looks like African countries are of harrumph to each other so we need to look into the issue further of what has influenced these people to be acting in such bedazzlement manner. its either The people of RSA are advocating for a change in their country or the foreigners are exercising liberty at its worst.. all in all the south Africans should reconsider their decision on killing people.. they should stop this act. what goes around comes back around.
I was dere man,dese South Africans r just stupid dogs,dey aint dat tough angokhala anthu ankhaza koma amadalira ife tomwe
Tiyen tasiile dzikolo tione if they a indid an island on ther own bt i dnt thk they a #fanz _ya_ south_ africa_ are_ poorly_ minded
palibe ziko lozidalila lokha south africa alibe mphamvu zamagesi ngakhale mazi amadalila mozambiki pano just 2hrs kulibe magesi koma zasokoneza ntchito atangothimisa mpakana 2 days ziko lingatani
I feel sorry for those who were affected by these xenophobic attacks. Having studied in South Africa, at the University of Cape Town, I had a chance to work with the local South Africans, I feel for them too, but I think the South Africans are just committing suicide. They need foreigners. They better learn this and the early the better for them. What do they think they will achieve from these acts? Get jobs from the rich indians or whites? Can they even sustain the jobs? Wake up guys!
I just want to remind the South Africans that Malawi, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique hosted a lot of freedom Fighters during the apartheid Era. These countries supported you financially, morally and materially. Now we have become bad and useless.
For Malawi .n 1977 over one hundred Malawians died in a plane crush. These people died for you. They made South Africa what it is now. Without us those tall building would not have been there.
We fought for South Africa be ruled by Blacks and the very blacks are now fighting us.
Black South Africans have just demonstrated the worst form of inhumanity and thanklessness. They have just forgotten how the East and Southern African countries especially Tanzania. Mozambique and a few others sacrificed their lives, well being, accommodation, land and even food to support the “Black South Africans’ as they were fighting for emancipation in the own land. That they can do it to any Africans (Malawi included despite their cooperation with the whiles ) is a great shame to say the least. I wish the Spirit of Nelson Mandela could Rise and shame these Zulus and their senseless son Jacob.
Trouble with South African fellow blacks is that they are quick to persecute fellow Africans because one of the ways they identify them is through the English accent, among others. But when it comes to a white person from either Eastern Europe or some other place and the English accent is nowhere near the “South African” English accent, they never seem to care that the person could be illegally in the country and an “economic” refugee just like the Africans and Pakistanis/Bangladeshis.
The fact of the matter is that most of the small businesses, white households etc prefer employing foreign nationals because they find them dependable, hard-working and do not belong to any Trade Union (meaning no work stoppage due to strikes). As employers, they find that risk to their lives in households, loss of productivity in their businesses is therefore at a minimum.
Wachache ndi wachache basi
Maybe it’s time Malawi govt and the immigration department should start scrutinising people when they leave for RSA, let those with sound academic qualifications to go but all uneducated and those people with little education must stay in Malawi because are the ones suffering in RSA. Crime is high Mumakomboni,ghettos because it’s where anger is still boiling due to oppression they suffered during apartheid. Najumpha wa kumundasono
The Zulus have forgotten Clement Kadalie’s contribution to the people of South Africa. The founder of ICU, the first black trade unionist,political activist in SA 1896-1951. The son of Malawi.
The Zulus have forgotten what Clement Kadalie contributed for thier cause.He was the founder of ICU,First Black Trade unionist and the political activist in SA. The great son of Malawi 1896 -1951
LETS CHASE SOUTH AFRICANS AS WELL SO THAT THOSE SOUTH AFRICANS WHO ARE VIOLENTLY CHASING OUR RELATIVES SHOULD REALIZE THAT WHAT THEY ARE DOING IS TOTALLY NOSENSE SAVAGE AND BULLSHIT.
Please our fellow malawian who are not secure in RSA can’t you find any means to come back home before the attack?
Anapita okha alekeni
I remember one, late Dr Antony Nazombe, my Eng100 lecture at Chanco. He told us of an experience in a remote amazon area in Brazil were while on his PHD holiday met a Malawian waiter at a restaurant. We are all over.
Malawians, let us unite together as one. Why this nosense!. Please our leaders in Malawi stop corruption, help the people. Guys is painful. Welcome back fellow Malawians from RSA. We have no where to go, becoz home is the best. Our politicians are destroying this country. shame on you
No 38 ngati simungalembe chingelezi lembani chichewa kapena chiyawo chanucho. Umbuli pa net.
Ndife ogunata kwambiri kodi tinachokera kuti? Kupusa kumeneku tinatengera ndani,, kapena Pitalai ok guys zibwerani mwalandliidwa tonse kolima basi Jumbeki inali kale ulesi basi…..
There is no country on this earth without foreigners. So wwhat is South Africa up to? Anyway that country is now run by an embicile!
We all need each other. Alot of SouthAfricans are in the UK, America and other countries. Apart from Malawi being poor, there’s alot that countries share, South Africa is got people frm all over the world, even Americans, Brazilians jst 2 mention afew.
All South Africans should vacate other countries as well akakhale kwawo!
Dont blame our government Malawi, Blame our povertyisim, Even if Jacob Zuma come here and starts governing us Our country will never become developed one, I’m in SA and I’ll die here ican’t go back,Ndikayang’ana kwathu ndikumangona Malawi amoto, Dzikolo likomera anthu opata.
Is not easy to build life in Malawi guys, I was in South Africa for 10 years, I back 2009 In Malawi I got a stable job for my professional as Architect in 2014,and even my package for a month I cant manage to feed my family for 2 children for whole month, Malawi is good for corruption, we well come you because this is your home bansi.
My fellow Malawians please don’t blame South Africa and its people. Let us blame our useless leaders we had from 1964 until today. Malawians are all over the world looking for education, jobs and even a place to stay. You can find a Malawian even in a country where we don’t have relations. All is because of poverty and hunger. You people who said Malawians must come back home, you say so because you haven’t suffer. 80% of Malawians are not working. What plan does your Lomwe government have to offer to the retainees? Nothing. Our government can offer a passport, that is it. Shame on you selfish leaders. How many companies are in our country? In South Africa, every district have industrial site bigger than Kanengo or Chichiri. So don’t talk nonsense. Malawians are all over the world because they are trying to survive. Its just unfortunate when they come to the situation as it in South Africa today. Let us tell our leaders to create jobs, otherwise Malawians will continue to die in foreign countries. Even our president and his brother, Bingu, spent all their lives in foreign countries.
Jacob Zuma is lier, there’s no way his son cant encourage these xenophobic attacks if his father is not sending him. Jacob knows very well and he is behind all this, South Africa president of such a great country to be ZUMA? SHAME ON YOU GUYS!!!
Again locals dont go to school they just want easy money through violence and robbery…you are a cursed country after Mandela..
tamabwerani.
Malawiana No.22, I can see that you are the one that is daft and silly. Dont just comment ignorantly. The minister is right to ask SA government. South Africa does not let anyone travel in or out of its borders on a temporary document. They outlawed them. If Malawi Government issues the documents without informing SA, the deportees won’t exit. Malawi Government has to ask SA to waive the ban on documents for a specific number of people. Malawi Government has to assure SA that indeed those guys without passports are Malawians. Muziganiza mwa nzeru. What if say a wanted criminal in SA wants to run away without a passport? He can easily get a temporary document instead of using passport to travel. Learn to comment only on what you are sure about.
Why SADC?
ine zanga phee
shame to south africa ,one day these violence will escarlet to civil war
this is bad….koma sitisiya kubwera or mutisanthuse galimoto
GUYS TIYEN TIKABWEZERE.
kodi amalawi bwanji nafenso tiyambe xenophobia kwa ma south Africans. Komanso tikatero muwona apolice opusa a ku Malawi ayambanso kutiwombera ndikutipha ife a Malawi anzawo pamene apolice a ku South Africa akungoyang’ana a Malawi akuphedwa.
Now, the people of Africa in South Africa buy your guns silently now that the Zwelithini personality has declared war on you. Rememebr the Zulus are a ruthless lot. So buy your gun legally and register it to say protection against xenophobia. Fire 3 shots in the air if you see these blood thirsty senseless buggers coming for you. They do not have a soul they will necklace you so without any compunction shoot the one who will be holding the tyre to necklace you. Don’t even smile at these buggers.!!!
Tiyeni tiyambepo kukumba iol wathu tidziwathamangitsa ma zulu akamabwera kuno
foreigners developed that nation, dont forget that teba shit. the best measure is sanctions coz zuma and his friends neva learn!
Mukawapeza mu BT or LL muwapaseko makofi useless people amaganiza kuti south Africa anamanga ndiwowo kupanda ma Buno bwezi tikufanana
ulesi siuthandiza.konkuno ndalama ziliko bola tyming mxiiiiiiiiiii
This Minister is really daft. What does he mean requesting South Africa for temporary travel documents of the victims when in fact it is the Malawi Embassy which issues these documents?
Its bad komanso a malawi tanyanya eeh eeh aliyense baxi ine jonz ine jonz ndi zimenezo akuchitani kanyenya kumeneko. On the other hand its a clear sign that Malawi is a failoed state, Malawi is far from providing its citizens basic knowledge, skills and resources for survival. Munanvako inu kuti ma youths akuchoka jons coming here to work? Maybe only white colar jobs but not kumazasesa mu shop ya chinese kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk. Koma yeah
One day Africa adzakwiya ndikusesa ma business onse a Joni
tidzaone ngati economy yawo sidzanva pain
Dziko lantundu wanji ngakhale upeze citizenship still amakutcha foreigner—nanunso atsogoleri athu its high time you start thinking outside the box,have the best interest of your people at heart
chuma mwadzikundikira kokwanira now its time to deliver
African countries must leave the International Criminal Court.
Oh! My God. poor Malawians, LORD HAVE MERCY.
Ena anachoka mwachipongwe, ngopalamulula ngongole ndikuthawa, zaka 8 opanda kulabadira. mulandu sumawola masamani, akukudikirani.
The end of times is near
My relative pliz come home we need your services here. Umphawi siupha
Its a shame that these South Africans are treated like kings here in Malawi while our own people are treated like dogs. God have mercy on the power people of Malawi!!!!
Bweraniko guyz kunoso kuliboo bola kuthamangathamanga,musafe ngati nkhuku.
Surely this war will never end at all looking at the nature of S. Africans who are violent from birth if you have seen how ruthless crime is in that country. Coupled by chronic frustration from the aparthied days. If the leaders in RSA are pouting fuel on fire let the govt deal with the inciters first other wise what the current president does is jsut to pay lip service after each explosion. It has happened three times since Zuma took office. Why did it not happen during Mandela. Let your sons and daughters be educated that you and your fathers were once political and economic refugess in Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia and these government paid dearly in terms of social, economic and moral support and even education.Its time your realised that now is pay back time after all these people earn money after working while yopur fore fathers and grannies milked our coffers. Shame JGZ, YOUR SON and your Zulu King
Its an utter disgrace for people to behave this way.
Imagine being burnt and beaten because you are a foreigner
South Africa has so much to lose, with this behavior. What they don’t realize is that South Africa is where it is today because of the trade that they have with other African Nations, South Africa has business interests with almost all African nations.
Game, Pep, Spar, Debonaires, Pick and Pay,Shoprite Multi Choice etc.
African leaders all need to unite and stop this madness. When it first happened. It seemed like a one off incident. But it keeps happening.
There is no country on earth with out foreigners, so what is so special with South Africa
Dont blame the south afr8icans, blame the leaders of the countries where these people come from. It is painful not to be employed in your own country. I can feel what the South African povos feel. These South Africans have a point, though we may differ on the methodology.
KWANU NDI KWANU, MUTHENGO MUDALAKA NJOKA.
Mbuzi ndi ma president omwe timasankhawa samakwanilisa zomwe amalonjeza pa ma kampeni omwe amapangisa ndi chifukwa tikuvutika chonchi ku dziko la eni
Sory guys.
I am stuck in amaze why the SouthAfricans patriotize their country by killing our fellow Malawians while we still eyes open. Should we say we dnt have RSA people In the country? We also need to send “em back their country coz that’s what their Stupid prezident needs! If I were Peter Muthalika could’ve had ’em depoted sooner I heard the xenophobia news!
so bad as this is happening while our country is now head on with hunger.
tiyeni amene tapeza kanganyase tisamakhaliseko, tizizatsekula malonda kuno.
TIZAONANA PAKACHERE MAGUSWENINU!!!
Kodi kuno kulibe aku s africa?nawonso ofunika chimodzi modzi, ulemu mpakana liti
A Kondwani Nankhumwa, whole minister zimalaya ngati za alonda bwanji? Akaunjika abwino-abwino akupezekatu ku free market uku.
Mungoti zikomo transport ya ulele back home. Some of you had plans already of coming home. Tanyanya nafe nyooomii to SA zina mbuli zothawa school kuno zikuti ntchito nkayipeza ku SA bola transport. When there, mwakomedwa now you lose everything.
These South Africans are ungrateful. During apartheid, the ANC was housed in Lusaka. Some of us bore the brunt of their liberation struggle. Now they are free they do not want us. Remember the Chikumbi bombings, the Katimamulilo and Caprivi Strip incidences?
Shamefully, they would not treat someone with light skin from Europe the same as they are treating our brothers and sisters.