Malawi ends South Africa repatriation drive: How many citizens returned home?
· The South African
Malawi has ended its government-assisted repatriation programme for citizens returning from South Africa, bringing to a close a costly operation launched amid growing concerns over the safety of Malawians living in the neighbouring country.
The final buses are scheduled to leave from the Malawi Consulate in Johannesburg and the Malawi High Commission in Pretoria at noon on Wednesday.
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The programme was launched in June after rising tensions and violence against foreign nationals in parts of South Africa prompted thousands of Malawians to seek a return home.
But just how many Malawians have been brought back to the country through the repatriation exercise?
Malawi’s repatriation programme comes to an end
According to the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA), the final group of returnees will be processed before the Mwanza Stadium reception centre is decommissioned.
As reported by Malawi24, from Wednesday, Malawians who want to return home from South Africa will have to make their own travel arrangements.
The Malawian government will, however, continue offering routine consular assistance to its citizens in South Africa.
This includes emergency travel documents, with the government waiving the fees for Malawians returning home for a transitional period.
How many Malawians returned from South Africa?
The government-assisted programme brought home 56 723 Malawians from South Africa.
The figure includes 38 866 men and 17 857 women.
Among those who returned were 3 988 children under the age of five and 694 pregnant women, according to DoDMA.
The department also recorded seven deaths during the repatriation exercise.
The scale of the operation makes it one of Malawi’s largest organised efforts to bring citizens home from South Africa amid concerns over insecurity.
Why did Malawians return?
The repatriation programme followed rising anti-immigrant tensions and violence against foreign nationals in parts of South Africa.
Malawians were among citizens from several African countries who sought to leave the country during the unrest.
The government responded by arranging transport for citizens who wanted to return voluntarily.
The programme provided an organised route home for vulnerable people who may otherwise have struggled to make the journey themselves.
How much did Malawi spend on repatriation?
The government has not disclosed the final cost of the repatriation exercise.
However, reports indicate that more than K12 billion (about R112 million) was spent on bringing Malawians home.
The expenditure has already prompted calls for greater transparency.
Social commentator Lucky Mbewe praised the government for helping vulnerable citizens but urged authorities to provide a detailed breakdown of how the money was used.
“I would like to ask the government to make a detailed presentation of the money that was used so that taxpayers are not left in the dark,” Mbewe said.
What happens to Malawians still in South Africa?
The end of the repatriation programme does not mean Malawians in South Africa can no longer receive assistance from their government.
Officials will continue providing consular services, including emergency travel documentation.
However, citizens who now decide to return home will have to organise their own transport.
Mbewe has also urged Malawians who have returned not to rush back to South Africa, arguing that the security situation remains uncertain.
The closure of the repatriation programme therefore marks a shift from government-organised transport to normal travel arrangements, while questions remain over whether the conditions that triggered the mass return have fully improved.