Migrants pick up pieces back home after fleeing South Africa

Back in his village in rural Malawi, Ahamadi Assani recalled his terror during an attack by anti-foreigner vigilantes in South Africa that led him to flee the country with just a few bags. It came as a campaign against illegal immigrants -- accused by locals of taking work and resources -- set an unofficial June 30 deadline for undocumented migrants to leave the country. "We were hiding inside our homes because we feared for our lives," Assani told AFP in M'namba, a village of mud-brick houses with uneven floors and weathered walls. Then a group stormed his compound in the city of Pietermaritzburg, breaking down doors and assaulting residents. Assani escaped but said two Malawians were killed and two hurt. South African police had only confirmed the death of one Malawian during the weeks of unrest, as well as two Mozambicans and an Ethiopian. "It was one of the most painful and traumatic experiences I have ever witnessed," the 33-year-old said. "We came back with nothing," said Assani, among some 15 people who have returned to the village in Salima district, 120 kilometres (75 miles) east of the capital Lilongwe. 'Never going back' Authorities say more than 15,000 Malawians left South Africa ahead of the "deadline", as well as thousands of citizens of countries including Ghana, Nigeria and Zimbabwe. Many were assisted by their governments in what appears to be the first multi-country official repatriation during periodic waves of anti-foreigner violence in South Africa. Assani had been away for more than a year, driven by the same dream that has pushed thousands of Malawians across borders for decades: jobs, income, a better future for their families. He found work at a shop owned by an Ethiopian national. The modest salary transformed his life. "I was able to pay rent, support relatives back home and pay school fees for my children," he said. But after his recent experience, he would never go back. Stay informed. Subscribe to our newsletter