Calm had been restored to several residential areas in the Durban area following a spate of attacks on foreign nationals, eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede said. Photo courtesy African News Agency (ANA)
DURBAN (South Africa), April 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — More than 100 Malawians have asked to be repatriated to their home country following xenophobic attacks in South Africa, the Mayor of Durban, Zandile Gumede said.
Several others have returned to their previous homes in Burnwood informal settlement after calm was restored.
“However, we have about 105 Malawians who have asked to be repatriated. We are helping them together with the International Organisation for Immigration and the Malawi High Commission,” she said.
The attacks were sparked by the discovery of stolen goods in the house of a Malawian national.
It adds that a gesture by other Malawians residents to write a letter apologising for the crime committed by one of them had been well received by the locals.
President Cyril Ramaphosa condemned the attacks and backed talks with ambassadors from other African countries which were organised by his Foreign Affairs Minister.
Attacks on African migrants are common in South Africa.
The opposition Democratic Alliance says the governing ANC’s policy has failed – blaming corruption, porous borders and a vast number of undocumented foreign nationals.
Finance Minister, Tito Mboweni recently spoke of the need to attract highly skilled people and said narrow nationalism led to economic stagnation. — NNN-AGENCIES