VZCZCXRO8657
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHLG #0348/01 1651041
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 131041Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY LILONGWE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5312
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0260
RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LILONGWE 000348 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/S - ELIZABETH PELLETREAU, PRM - MARY LANGE 
MCC FOR DIEDRA FAIR 
LONDON FOR PETER LORD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREF PHUM PREL SF MI
SUBJECT: MALAWI: UP TO 20,000 AFFECTED BY SOUTH AFRICAN XENOPHOBIC 
VIOLENCE 
 
REF: STATE 060861 
 
LILONGWE 00000348  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (SBU): Summary: An estimated twenty thousand Malawians have been 
affected by the xenophobic violence in South Africa.  Since the 
attacks began May 11, five Malawians have been killed and many 
others left injured or homeless.  The GOM provided buses that have 
evacuated nearly 1,000 of the country's citizens from South Africa, 
but thousands more remain.  Malawi has been working to repatriate 
those who had immigrated to the country.  The violence has damaged 
South Africa's reputation in Malawi as a haven for foreigners in 
search of employment and wealth.  End summary. 
 
¶2. (U) The government of Malawi (GOM) estimates that up to twenty 
thousand Malawians have been affected by the xenophobic violence in 
South Africa.  Since the attacks began on May 11, five Malawians 
have been killed and many others left injured or homeless.  On May 
18, 39-year-old Malawian Jonas Karuzi Simkonda died of head injuries 
he sustained during an attack in Johannesburg.  Four days later, a 
second Malawian was shot to death in Durban.  On June 7, another 
Malawian was killed in a South African attack: 26-year-old Daison 
Mpata was fatally stabbed in Johannesburg's township of Soweto.  Two 
other Malawians have also died as a result of the violence. 
 
¶3. (U) Malawian press reported many Malawians flooded diplomatic 
missions in South Africa in search of relief items and evacuation, 
and Malawian civil society organizations blamed the GOM for not 
doing enough to help.  Upon hearing reports of hundreds camping at 
police stations and other sites that had been designated to harbor 
the refugees, the GOM created a disaster committee chaired by the 
Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security, and promised to 
assist those who needed to be evacuated.  Minister of Foreign 
Affairs Joyce Banda visited the Malawian mission in South Africa May 
22 where she was briefed about the situation. 
 
¶4. (U) The GOM hired buses from South Africa to return Malawians to 
their home country.  The first two buses arrived on May 25 where the 
people were screened at the social welfare offices in Blantyre to 
establish their identities.  According to Jeffrey Kanyinji, 
Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Civic 
Education, the repatriation process will continue as long as there 
are Malawians willing to return home.  Unfortunately, many 
xenophobia victims remain stranded in Cape Town, as the buses only 
leave from Johannesburg and Durban, and the distance between the 
cities is too far for many Malawians in South Africa to travel on 
their own.  The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is currently working on 
logistics to transport victims from Cape Town.  Meanwhile, some 
Malawians refuse to leave South Africa, as they would rather stay in 
hiding than face poverty and hunger in their own country. 
 
¶5. (U) FM Banda told the press she expects the government to 
repatriate about 15,000 Malawians fleeing the xenophobic violence. 
Despite meeting South African President Thabo Mbeki during the World 
Economic Forum in early June, President Bingu wa Mutharika told 
media he did not discuss the xenophobic violence with him, and 
insisted that the media exaggerated the situation. 
 
¶6. (U) The Ministry of Women and Child Development, with help from 
the Red Cross, has established temporary accommodations for the 
returnees at the Blantyre Welfare Centre.  Each bus that the 
Malawian government hired has cost over $5,000 USD.  Since most 
returnees arrived with no money or personal belongings, the GOM is 
using a collective passport for them.  According to Kanyinji, so 
far, all of the people to arrive at the Blantyre Welfare Centre have 
been genuine Malawians.  However, the GOM has been non-committal on 
whether it will set aside a special fund for the xenophobia victims. 
 Minister of Women and Child Development Anna Kachikho ruled out the 
possibility of creating starter kits for the returnees.  She 
publicly stated that the Ministry was only responsible for receiving 
the victims and making sure that they reach their homes, as they are 
already providing food, medical care, and transport for the returned 
Malawians. 
 
¶7. (U) In light of fears that the large number of returnees would 
cause unemployment rates to rise, Kachikho insisted that if the 
Malawians were able to make a living in South Africa, then they 
would be able to find jobs in their home country.  She continued 
that the xenophobia victims were not included in the 2008-09 
national budget allocated to the Ministry of Women and Child 
Development, but that the government was always prepared for such 
eventualities.  The Office of President and Cabinet (OPC) has given 
the ministry $14,085 USD that is being used for expenses such as 
transport within Malawi and food at the Social Welfare Office. 
 
 
LILONGWE 00000348  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶8. (SBU) Comment: Many Malawians believe that the long history of 
Malawian workers in South Africa creates an obligation for South 
Africa to provide better treatment for affected foreigners than has 
been the case to date.  The Malawi-based Human Rights Consultative 
Committee (HRCC) demanded that the South African government 
compensate Malawians who have lost property, as well as the families 
of those who have died in the xenophobic attacks.  At a Malawi-South 
Africa Joint Commission of Cooperation (JCC) ceremony in Blantyre, 
South African Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Aziz Pahad said that 
his country's government is deeply shocked by the violence and has 
sent condolence messages to the families of the five Malawians who 
were killed.  However, the violence is likely to damage South 
Africa's reputation in Malawi as a haven for foreigners in search of 
employment and wealth. End comment. 
 
EASTHAM