Two women told DW how anti-migrant protests upended their lives in South Africa, forcing them to return to Zambia and rebuild from scratch. Glenda Banda, with her baby strapped to her back and carrying little more than the clothes she was wearing, crossed back into Zambia amid growing anti-migrant sentiment in South Africa, where she had lived for a decade.
Banda said the local mayor sent young men to her home to ask the landlord to evict her family. "The landlord was forced to put all our belongings outside and lock the house. We had to flee and leave everything behind," she told DW. Bernadette Mwelwa, after more than 20 years in South Africa, returned to Zambia having lost not only her livelihood but also the life she built there. "The mayor took the keys to my salon. My husband, who is Congolese, looked after our supermarket, but it was looted and everything is gone," she said.
Nigeria, Mozambique and Ghana have raised concerns about attacks on their citizens. Nigeria denounced the deaths of two of its citizens, while Mozambique said five of its citizens were killed as a direct consequence of xenophobic attacks. South African police said only two Mozambicans died and denied a link to the protests. Ghana reported one citizen killed, but South Africa said the killing was not protest-related.
Several African governments have organized voluntary repatriation flights and buses for their citizens. Zambia's Vice President Mutale Nalumango said authorities would assess individual cases to determine assistance. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa rejected suggestions that South Africans are xenophobic, saying migration presents complex challenges requiring political solutions.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) called for de-escalation and protection of migrants. Psychologist Lisa Thompson-Smeddle noted that returning home does not automatically bring healing, as many survivors continue to struggle with grief and trauma after losing homes, livelihoods and communities.
For Banda and Mwelwa, policy debates feel distant. They have found safety back in Zambia, but the process of rebuilding their lives and recovering from emotional scars is only just beginning.
Source: www.dw.com