Malawi president Peter Mutharika has urged President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe in his capacity as chairman of the regional grouping, the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), to ensure that the issue of the on-going xenophobia attacks in South Africa is addressed.
“I will raise the issue with President Robert Mugabe, as Chairman of SADC, especially to ensure that this matter is discussed at the impending SADC Extraordinary Summit scheduled to be held soon in Harare,” he said in a statement released by State House in the capital, Lilongwe, Monday.
The xenophobia attacks, in their second week now, target Africans from the region notably Malawians, Zimbabweans, Mozambican, Somalians, Congolese and Ethiopians. At least seven people have been confirmed dead, two of them Malawians, according to the Malawi government.
President Mutharika also urged the South African government to stop the violence.
“I am pursuing this matter with President Jacob Zuma to do all, within his power, to end this painful ordeal of Malawians in South Africa whose only crime is to go and work in South Africa to earn a living,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Malawi government has confirmed that two of the dead are Malawians.
“One of them has already been buried in South Africa, another is still in the mortuary,” said Information Minister Kondwani Nankhumwa.
Nankhumwa also said six buses carrying 390 Malawians from Durban were expected in Malawi Monday. He said the figure of Malawians seeking refuge in temporary refugee camps has swollen to 3,200.
“The Malawi government will repatriate all Malawians willing to leave South Africa,” he said, adding that five more buses carrying Malawians were expected to leave Durban on Tuesday.
Malawian civil rights groups were expected to hold street demonstrations in the capital, Lilongwe, on Tuesday while a consumer rights group has called for a boycott of South African shops and goods and warned of forceful closure of all South African shops on Friday which has been dubbed ‘Black Friday’.
Many Malawian young men trek to South Africa in search of work.
The xenophobia attacks begun reportedly following remarks by King Goodwill Zwelithini of Kwazulu Natal that foreigners must pack up and go home. The influential traditional leader has since distanced himself from the remarks, saying they were ‘mis-translated’. He was expected to explain away his remarks on Monday in KwaZulu Natal.
