By Vincent Gunde
Reports coming from South Africa are indicating that over 400 people believed to be illegal immigrants have been arrested in one town alone raising fears that many Malawians living in South Africa have been targeted.
This is the highest figure of people reported to be arrested in South Africa ever since Operation Dudula started targeting all foreign nationals plying their various businesses in South Africa without valid documents.
The arrests of these 400 people is clearly speaking for itself that there is nobody in their houses, some Malawians might have bought goods in readiness to be transported to Malawi or that at the time of leaving South Africa to Malawi, they will collect their goods and travel with it back home.
It is a common fact that many people living in South Africa have their passports expired, some people failed to renew them and others have travelled without passports because the Immigration Department in Malawi is failing to process the passports.
Limpopo FM Nkhanga zaona programme producer Comrade Ntanyiwa has appealed to the new government in Malawi to talk to the South African government for the goods of these arrested Malawians to be placed at one place for the owners to identify and take them home.
Comrade Ntanyiwa said if Malawi is developing is because of its people who are living outside the country and they send goods back home pleading to the new government to talk to President Cyril Ramaphosa to allow Malawians stay in South Africa and those who committed crimes to be arrested.
He said many Malawians have lost jobs in South Africa for not having legal documents pleading with the new government to tell the South African government that there’s a new government in Malawi and for those arrested people to be sent to Malawi, many of them will be involved in committing theft offences.
“I appeal to Malawians living in South Africa, let’s work together to assist our fellow Malawians arrested with food and other supporting items, let’s take care, God will protect them,” said Comrade Ntanyiwa.
On his part, political activist Bon Kalindo has called on the new government to create tailor- made programs for the arrested people in South Africa so that when they arrive in Malawi they should find something to start for their lives.
Kalindo said the way the South African government is treating people without valid documents and are living in that country is heartbreaking observing that Africans are treating each other as animals not human beings,
“There’s need for the Government of Malawi and South Africa to sit down for the way forward other than the way Malawians are being ill- treated in South Africa,” he said.
