Voice from the Camps - Steven Mware

Publisher:
MSF
Publication Date:
22 May 2015
Tags:
Malawi, South Africa, Human Rights, Legal and Judicial Affairs, Refugees and Displacement

During March and April 2015 violent xenophobic attacks spread across South Africa's KwaZulu Natal province, leaving seven people dead, several injured and more than 7,000 foreign nationals displaced. Initially housed in three displacement camps around Durban, the number of people - predominantly Malawians, Mozambicans and Zimbabweans - dwindled as they were repatriated. Thousands of them boarded busses for an exodus en mass. As the displacement camps emptied out during April refugees from Burundi and Democratic Republic of Congo remained stuck, facing a difficult dilemma: they cannot return to their countries of origin at war, neither can they return to the communities they fled from for fear of being attacked again. Voices from the Camps | Steven is a Malawian migrant worker caught up in recent xenophobic violence. He was among the 2,000 Malawians repatriated by bus last month, but he's coming back. "We don't regret being foreigners, because I understand that everyone is a foreigner. When things are quiet I'm going to come back." Follow the stories MSF fieldworkers encounter to mark #AfricaDay & show #Solidarity4Survival For more Voice from the Camps visit: http://www.msf.org.za/xenophobia

Follow AllAfrica

AllAfrica publishes around 400 reports a day from more than 100 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.