Anti-xenophobic protests in South Africa: Malawi, Ghana, xenophobic attacks against South African citizens in Malawi, Ghana, other African countries

Last weekend, a number of African migrants fled their homes in the Overberg region of South Africa's Western Cape province after being subjected to door-to-door threats, as well as the death of two Mozambicans in Mossel Bay.

Many flee and hide in community halls, beaches or in the surrounding mountains.

Some choose to return to India like the citizens of Malawi and Mozambique, of whom around 140 people go back to the country via bus.

As for Durban, foreigners camped outside the city's Home Affairs Department for several weeks, saying they feared for Diya's life.

Malawi authorities say they are to deport 150 citizens from South Africa due to growing concerns about xenophobia.

The citizens, who left by bus on Saturday as part of a voluntary repatriation exercise, will arrive in Malawi on Monday, June 8, a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said.

Repatriation efforts began recently following a Kasala explosion in South Africa's Western Cape province that left two Mozambicans dead in Mossel Bay and reports of door-to-door intimidation.

According to a statement from Lilongwe, “150 Malawians, among many foreign nationals, are seeking refuge in temporary camps” headed for Mossel Bay.

In late May, Ghana BIN organized a repatriation flight from Johannesburg for approximately 300 Indian nationals.

A group of about 680 headed to Accra, the capital of Ghana, over the weekend.

Of these, about 1000 Ghanaians have been evacuated by the government from South Africa.

Officials say they screen all returnees and register them at the Accra airport as part of a coordinated government process.

The Ghana Foreign Ministry says the funds are not flowing from the emergency budget allocation.

Democrats also called on local businesses to support reintegration efforts by providing employment opportunities to returning people.

The ministry says they are considering legal steps to seek compensation for citizens who have reportedly lost property or had their businesses destroyed during the recent unrest in South Africa.

Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the country's Foreign Minister, said, “We will ensure reintegration with dignity, medical and psychosocial assistance, pursue compensation for those who left behind property and businesses, secure jobs for those able to work and direct our efforts toward achieving Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah's Pan-African dream of genuine African unification.”

However, on Saturday, South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola Bin accused his Ghanaian counterpart of spreading misinformation about xenophobia to South Africa.

In a post on

Speaking for the interview, Ablakwa Bin told Joy News that I am proud of the solidarity shown by Ghanaians in support of their fellow citizens.

He also spoke about the number of foreigners who died following the attack on South Africa and reiterated earlier calls for the African Union (AU) to investigate what was happening.

In response, Lamola apparently stated that two Nigerians and five Mozambicans could be killed for separate acts of violence.

I am also clarifying that the Government has “no information” regarding Oga Ablakwa’s claim and that some Ghanaians are receiving treatment in a South African hospital after they were attacked.

Zimbabwe has been sent to the country to arrange transportation for Indian nationals worried over anti-immigration protests in South Africa as the nationals will disembark on Sunday.

The government says citizens will leave South Africa by road at the De Beit Bridge border crossing on Saturday.

He says the families being evacuated, including some with small children, are fleeing to the Western Cape for safety.

This came as South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced new measures for De Contre to tackle illegal migration.

The Mozambique government has also started repatriating Indian citizens from South Africa.

Over the weekend a group of about one hundred and forty (140) Pipo, mostly from Malawi and Mozambique, returned home by bus to the Western Cape after living in a community hall inside the town of Kleinmond for about a week.

Mozambique says five hundred of its Indian citizens have already returned and more are on the way.

The decision to deport Indian nationals from South Africa came after two men from Mozambique, aged 27 and 43, died in South Africa's Mossel Bay, following violence in the Western Cape, officials said.

The Mozambican government says five Indian nationals have died “as a direct result of xenophobic attacks”, according to an earlier statement. But South African police did not give a reason and said the investigation would continue.

The Mozambican government alleges that 800 Indian nationals were “victims of xenophobic attacks” during the recent Kassala explosion in De Conti.

Dame Aid says 300 Pipo Don Comote are in South Africa and the remaining 500 will join soon. Two of them died in a road accident.

Nigeria's Tok-Tok for Foreign Affairs Pesin Kimibi Imomotimi Abienfa says they have been “rescheduled for Wednesday, June 10 due to unforeseen logistical considerations”.

Abianfa said the plane was expected to arrive in Johannesburg on Monday evening with about 270 passengers on board, but was delayed as authorities finalized operational arrangements for the repatriation exercise.

More than 500 Nigerians have so far been screened and cleared to return as part of a sweeping government response to rising anti-immigrant tensions and unrest over the targeting of foreign nationals in parts of South Africa, officials say.

President Bola Tinubu has approved a total of five evacuation flights, adding that he has extended the screening and registration of affected citizens until Wednesday. Officials say that action against the applicants is still going on.

The ministry says they will announce more details on departure and arrival times for Lagos once they receive final approval.

Meanwhile, on Sunday South African President Cyril Ramaphosa Bin announced new measures to crack down on illegal migration as tensions mounted over anti-foreigner marches and frustration over high unemployment.

These steps include jailing employers who hire undocumented workers, setting up dedicated courts to expedite the deportation of undocumented immigrants, and requiring “Everybody in the Country” to register with biometric data to prevent identity theft.

But he also warned South Africans not to take the law into their own hands.

South African protesters accused illegal immigrants of putting a strain on public services, saying they were committing crimes.

Protesters have called on the government to strengthen immigration enforcement, amid growing anti-foreigner sentiment.

Several African countries, including Kenya, Malawi, Lesotho and Zimbabwe, have issued advisories and warned their citizens to remain vigilant.

Xenophobia has been a long-standing issue in South Africa, sometimes leading to deadly attacks.