Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation says it has received at least 200 distress calls and requests for repatriation from Malawians living in South Africa amid anti-immigrant tensions.
The ministry’s spokesperson Charles Nkhalamba said in an interview yesterday that the calls received through Malawi’s High Commission in Pretoria and Consulate in Johannesburg are mainly from Malawians based in KwaZulu Natal and Eastern Cape.
He said the ministry has activated an inter-ministerial mechanism to respond and will inform the public on measures to be taken.
“Evacuation plans, shelters, or hotlines for Malawian nationals at risk are some of the initiatives that the government will consider as it assesses the situation,” said Nkhalamba.
He added that Malawi is engaging South Africa through diplomatic channels to address the matter, noting that the two countries maintain long-standing cordial bilateral relations.
Nkhalamba also urged Malawians in South Africa to be vigilant, monitor developments in their areas and adhere to the directions by the South Africa Government as well as advisories from Malawi’s diplomatic missions.
According to Reuters, protesters last week held rallies in Pretoria and Johannesburg demanding tougher action against illegal immigration, saying undocumented foreign nationals were putting pressure on jobs, security and public services.
The BBC also reported that some anti-immigrant groups have been stopping people outside hospitals and schools demanding to see their identity papers.
A Malawian based in Johannesburg, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said yesterday the situation remains tense with shops or small businesses owned by foreign nationals largely closed.
Another Malawian said fear of being attacked has restricted her movement.
“My movement is restricted to the township where there have been no attacks on foreign nationals,” she said.
Human rights activist Undule Mwakasungula said bodies such as the Southern African Development Community and the African Union should intervene.
The South African High Commission in Malawi was yet to respond to a questionnaire sent through email yesterday.
However, the BBC quoted President Cyril Ramaphosa as urging citizens during his Freedom Day address on April 27 not to allow their concerns to “breed prejudices and hatred towards our fellow Africans”.
South Africa is home to more than three million immigrants, accounting for 5.1 percent of the country’s population, according to official figures from Statistics South Africa.
The country has previously experienced xenophobic violence including attacks in 2008 that left about 60 people dead and over 50 000 displaced as well as violence in 2015 in which seven people died.
