The Government, meeting in another session of the Council of Ministers, provided an update on the situation of xenophobic attacks against Mozambican citizens in the Republic of South Africa (RSA), revealing that the incidents have already resulted in the deaths of nine citizens and affected another 874, prompting hundreds of people to return to Mozambique.
Speaking during the customary press briefing following the 15th Ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers, government spokesperson Ussene Isse explained that of the nine recorded deaths, five citizens were murdered, two were run over while attempting to flee the violence, and two others died in a road accident while returning to Mozambique in private transport.
According to the Council of Ministers spokesperson, the situation remains a source of concern, particularly due to threats being circulated against foreign nationals residing in KwaZulu-Natal Province, where they have allegedly been given until June 30 to leave the region.
In response, the Mozambican Government immediately activated response and assistance mechanisms.
Shortly after the attacks began last Friday, a multisectoral team was established involving the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, the National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction (INGD), Migration Services, and Mozambique’s High Commission and Consulate in South Africa.
The objective was to assess the scale of the crisis and prepare a coordinated response to receive citizens seeking to return home.
So far, several Mozambicans have registered with the Mozambican Consulate in Durban, formally expressing their intention to return to the country. The Government expects the immediate arrival of more than 300 citizens through the Ressano Garcia border post, the main land crossing between Mozambique and South Africa.
To ensure transportation for those affected, six buses with a capacity of 60 passengers each and 12 minibuses have been deployed in an operation coordinated by South African authorities in collaboration with Mozambican institutions.
At the same time, government teams have been deployed to Ressano Garcia to ensure the registration, screening, reception, and referral of returnees to their respective places of origin.
Authorities stated that logistical arrangements have already been made to receive affected citizens. Actions have also been coordinated with provincial governments, provincial executive councils, municipalities, and state representation services in the provinces of Maputo, Maputo City, Gaza, Inhambane, and Manica, where a large proportion of the returnees are expected to be reintegrated.
In the first phase, the government plans to repatriate around 1,000 Mozambican citizens. Currently, 584 people are being sheltered in community accommodation centers in South Africa due to the insecurity caused by the attacks.
As a social support measure, each household returning to Mozambique will receive two food kits. One will be intended for immediate consumption during the journey, while the other will support reintegration into their home communities for an estimated period of ten days.
The kits include rice, maize flour, beans, cooking oil, and salt, products considered essential to provide basic assistance to affected families.
Isse also assured that the Government will maintain daily communication on developments in the situation to ensure updated information is available to families and the public.
In addition to the update on the xenophobic crisis, the 15th Session of the Council of Ministers approved several legal instruments. Among them is the proposed Collaborative Financing Law, which will be submitted to the Assembly of the Republic and aims to diversify financing sources for citizens, entrepreneurs, and small and medium-sized enterprises, contributing to national economic growth.
The Executive also approved amendments to the regulations governing the legal regime for the use of national maritime space, as well as the new regulation on the legal framework for civil identification and the National Identity Card. This instrument establishes rules for the collection, processing, and storage of citizens’ identification data, strengthening document security and standardizing procedures throughout the country.
During the same session, the Council of Ministers appointed Alfredo Mutumbene as a member of the Investment Advisory Council of the Mozambique Sovereign Wealth Fund and approved the dismissal of Ângelo António from the position of Chairman of the Board of Directors of the State Fund.
