390 Malawian returnees arrive home from S. Africa due to xenophobic attacks

The first group of 390 Malawian nationals repatriated from South Africa arrived in Malawi Monday evening from Durban, South Africa.

The returnees arrived at Chichiri Stadium in Malawi's Commercial city of Blantyre at around 8:30 p.m. local time on the six South African buses Malawi government hired to ferry them back home.

The returnees were welcomed by Malawi Minister of Information, Tourism and Culture, Kondwani Nankhumwa, who is also government's spokesperson, and Internal Security Minister, Atupele Muluzi, among other government officials.

According to national public broadcaster, Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), among the 390 returnees are men, women, and children between 6 months and 12 years old.

"Most of these returnees are putting on tattered slippers; some are even bare footed and in shabby clothes, an indication that they might have been taken unawares by the attacks and could not get the chance to get hold of their decent clothes," explained MBC reporter who covered the arrival live.

More buses are expected from Tuesday onwards as the total number of Malawians trapped in South Africa has now reached 3,200 and according to government spokesperson, Kondwani Nankhumwa, 60 more buses have been hired to ferry the stranded Malawi nationals back home.

The returnees are scheduled to undergo screening by immigration, social welfare departments before will be handed over to the Department of Disaster and Management Affairs for logistics to get them dispatched to their respective homes. Endi