The Government of Malawi has set aside K30 million for the repatriation of Malawians who want to return home voluntarily escaping anti-immigrant (xenophobic) attacks in Durban, South Africa.
This is according to a statement signed by Hon Kondwani Nankhumwa Minister of Information and Culture who indicates that official reports from the offices of the Malawian Consulate and High Commission to South Africa as of 14th April 2015, about 420 Malawians were reported to be affected and are in temporary camps in South Africa.
The statement further says so far only three (3) Malawians have been reported to be seriously injured, one person heavily injured. And the minister has however said the figure of Malawians who have been affected is expected to rise.
The victims are said to have lost almost all their property, including travel documents in the attacks.
According to Nankhumwa, the Government of Malawi has decided to to hire six (6) buses from South Africa to be used to ferry people who voluntarily want to be repatriated to Malawi.
The statement says, Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) has directed the Department of Disaster and Management Affairs to coordinate the repatriation process with immediate effect.
Nankhumwa further says the Malawian Consulate and the High Commissioner’s office in South Africa are working hand in hand with the South African government on monitoring and assessing the situation on the ground on the production of temporally travel documents for the victims.
The government spokes person further adds that the buses are expected to arrive in Malawi from South Africa with the returnees on Sunday and the Government of Malawi has identified two centres in Lilongwe at Social Welfare in Malangalanga and Blantyre at Kwacha Social Welfare near Njamba as places where the buses will drop off the returnees from South Africa.
The Government of Malawi will also organize transport for the returnees to return to their respective homes says Nankhumwa.
"The Malawian Mission in South Africa is conducting the screening process which includes identification of individuals in order to fast track border crossing as well as identification of an individual’s home of origin. The Malawi Government is committed to ensuring the safe return of all Malawians who have been affected by the recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa." Added the Minister
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