Returnees from South Africa torch Malawi prison facilities, protest quarantine
Property has been destroyed at Mapanga Prison Training College in Blantyre following a scuffle between Malawians who recently returned from South Africa and police officers.
The returnees went rioting as they demanded their passports back and immediate release to go to their homes, protesting the quarantine protocol.
Police had to use tear gas to restore order as the impatient returnees also blocked the Blantyre – Zomba Road and smashed passing vehicles.
Some of the returnees also torched some structures at the prison training school which during one-party dictatorship was used as a Malawi Young Pioneers training base.
At least 518 Malawian returnees arrived in the country from South Africa on Saturday through Mwanza Border Post amid concerns from some quarters in society that the returnees were escalating cases of Covid-19 as the pandemic is being imported in the country by the returnees.
Immigration department Mwanza Border spokesperson, Pasqually Zulu, said the returnees were demanding that authorities give them back their passports but said they could only get their travel documents upon getting their results from health officials who conducted Covid-19 tests on them.
“We are not giving them any passport until all the processes are concluded,” Zulu said.
Malawi Prison Services spokesperson Chimwemwe Shaba said they are disappointed with the conduct by the returnees, adding that the value of property damaged will be known once assessment is completed by next week.
“We have not assessed what has been damaged so far but we will know in a week,” Shaba said in an interview.
In his daily updates on the status of the pandemic in the country on Sunday, Presidential Task Force on Covid 19 co-chairperson Dr John Phuka said Malawi has recorded 8 575 cases including 225 deaths and of these cases, 1678 are imported infections and 6 896 are locally transmitted.
Cumulatively, 5 824 cases have now recovered, 134 were lost to follow-up, and 76 are still being investigated to ascertain their outcome.
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Boma musamaphweketse zinthu pilizi, send MDF soldiers akawapatse mabwande matsotsiwo,
Returnees know why they went to SA, we have limited resources and should understand their country well. Those arrested, I hope they will know that they have been arrested. No pampering and their passports confisticated and black listed.
Osayiwala dziko la Malawi tiku runner ndife amend tili kunja,ndalama za misonkho zochuluka zimabwera ndi ife,mukatha nzeru mumatilembera ma msg ndipo Ife timatumiza pompopompo nanga si ife ndalama ndi nkhwani,nyumba za malata zambiri ndi zabwino tumanga ndife,ndipo I’ve titafuna kukulandani dzikolo ndi tsiku limodzi,ngakhale President wanuyo kuti awine ndalama zimachokera kwa ife,ndife amene tiku runner dziko So timangofuna kukuwonetsani kuti ndinu ana athu,mupangenso zopepela tikuwonetsani,mumasankha atsogoleri ofoyira osatifunsa Kaye bwanji…..
Do you pay tax? Dziko limayenda ndi misonkho imene amatidula osati ndalama ya Mukhuru mumatumidza ija
Send them to chichiri prison and don’t bring them any more idiots from south africa.letbthem rot there.
Remember, passport is the property of the government and it can be revoked if it deemed alright l. The returnees showed total foolishness, arrogance, stupidity and ignorance of unfathomable magnitude. They also put lives of their relatives at risk, especially those who escaped without knowing their status.
I propose government should stop assisting these lunatics back into the country. They are a disgrace.
I do not understand the Government of Malawi. GOM transports the so called returnees every year using taxpayers money (or donor funding). THE BIGGEST problem is that the majority of these people return to South Africa after a couple of weeks. Remember more than 90% of these returnees have no fixed jobs in South Africa. They do the so called “piece work” and as such they do not have money to come back to Malawi on holiday though they accumulate some assets (e.g. bicycles, clothing, etc.) due to piece work they do occasionally. Now this government funded transport enables them… Read more »
Hie please dont mislead people which government is funding anyone, people are struggling here some dont have food late alone no money for transport to go back home
everyone who is coming back are buying tickets with their money the embassy of Malawi in south africa does little to assist its citizen
everyone is paying for their tickets, no donor or government is involved dont be clever or intelligent in issues you dont know do your research
But they should not destroy the property that our taxes have built. These returnees do not pay tax to the government of Malawi when they are working in South Africa. They do not have the right to destroy the property that our money has paid for. Again, much of the Covid that is in Malawi is imported through these people. I think that they are selfish people who do not worry if they infect innocent people.
Why are you coming back?
me or why are they coming back kodi ndekuti ku malawi munasiya kuganiza ndi mayesa ndi kwao ku malawi komanso ine i was just making things clear kuti boma silinagule ticket ya muthu a chande izo ndi zainu ndi boma la malawi koditu if the government of Malawi provides better paying jobs anthu sanga machke mudziko. kuwononga zithu ndi umbuli ndi kupusa thats not a sulution to solving problems after all they are not the first returnees
Ask your president why he is sending buses ?
The country is already struggling with a few cases of Covid.
Now he is sending buses to take people here back home maybe he wants the new SA variant to spread there too so that the govt could be funded much to fat their pockets alone🤝
They chose to suffer when they went to South Africa. They should not bother anyone when they return. They made their own choice, they should live with it.
Only in Malawi, and I repeat, only in Malawi where the whole Government makes a stupid and repartriate cases of Covid 19 from a hot zone like RSA in Country, kaya anatilodza ndindani kaya?
mukamayakhula muziganiza anthu akuvutika, amavutika ndi kale ena amakhala movutika the only option ndi kubwelera ku mudzi ku malawi kuti apaeze mtendele where do expect them to go ku Zambia and these women and men have been contributing to Malawis economy growth now poti zavuta nde asabwele, muziwapatsa chakudya, malo ogona you dont know what people are going through to be able to get those tickets and get on a bus
Why are they rioting and not following instructions. They are being hosted for free and being given food to wait for their results why burn the place? Others have peacefully obeyed and obtained their results from the free test they were offered. These idiots will kill us.
Did we tell them to travel to South Africa? No one forced them to travel to South Africa, why should government spend money to repatriate them only to damage Government property? The very Government that has repatriate them. These people should be arrested and jailed. They are idiots.
its funny how you people think no government is spending money no donor has given anyone money to repatriate anyone you are being selfish self centered anthu ku Malawi amavutika the go abroad for greener pasture its just unfortunate kuti awotcha zithu sanachite bwino alakwitsa koma ndi a malawi kwao ndi ku malawi whether you like or not they will keep coming back get used to that or die with COVID
Bahat Nyirenda iwe ndiye chindere chakufikapo. Burning government building is a crime full stop. Mukuthawa chani ku Kathlehong?
Who seny them to South Africa. Did govt send them? Why should the govt be responsible. I don’t get it
This is not enough. They should also be arrested and charged for criminal offence. This behaviour is not acceptable. Let them pay heavily for the damage caused so that those that are planning to return home should behave and follow all the rules.These people are as dangerous as Donald Trump, if left loose, they will kill many Malawians.
HOW did they even pass border’s before testing for Covid-19 🤷♂️ Malawian Government is always dump🚮
They definitely are stupid, no wonder they could not get jobs in RSA
We have law and order in this country now, if these stupid returnees thought that the docile APM is still in power then they will regret this big mistake for the whole of their lives….. First their passports will not be given back to them until they have been prosecuted for contravening the covid 19 regulations, secondly for acting in a way that bleaches the peace and thirdly for arson. I can not see less than 5 year jail terms meted out for these crimes and also serious amounts of fines to repair the damage they have caused. These are… Read more »