Malawi Dispatches 10 More Buses as Over 1,200 Citizens Return Home from South Africa
A major repatriation effort is unfolding as the Malawi government moves to bring home more than 1,200 of its citizens from South Africa, with hundreds already on the road and many others still waiting for assistance.
The latest phase of the operation began on Thursday when Malawi deployed 10 additional buses to transport around 700 Malawian nationals back home. The move follows the departure of eight buses carrying 560 citizens on Wednesday as part of a voluntary repatriation programme.
The large-scale return highlights the growing humanitarian challenge facing displaced Malawian nationals who have been sheltering in South Africa while awaiting assistance from their government.
According to Malawi’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the repatriation exercise is primarily focused on evacuating vulnerable citizens who had been accommodated at Cape Agulhas and Sherwood Town Hall facilities.
In a statement, the ministry confirmed that a total of 1,260 Malawian nationals are expected to re-enter Malawi through the Mwanza Border Post on Friday and Saturday.
For many of those making the journey, the return marks the end of a difficult chapter marked by uncertainty, displacement and reliance on emergency support.
Upon arrival in Malawi, the returnees will be processed at Kazuzu Stadium before being transported to their respective home districts and local destinations.
The Malawian government has also acknowledged the support it received during the operation. Authorities expressed gratitude to the South African government, as well as civil society organisations that provided food, blankets and humanitarian assistance to affected citizens while they awaited repatriation.
However, the operation has also exposed the scale of demand for assistance. While hundreds are currently being transported home, other Malawian nationals remain stranded in different parts of South Africa.
Several Malawian citizens living in Gauteng and the Eastern Cape have appealed to their government for inclusion in future repatriation efforts, saying they too require support to return home.
Their calls suggest that the current operation may only be the beginning of a broader repatriation process as authorities assess the needs of Malawian nationals still scattered across South Africa.
As buses continue their long journey north, families on both sides of the border are waiting anxiously for reunions, while officials race to complete one of the country’s most significant recent repatriation missions.
