Mozambicans flee South Africa

A 21 car train pulls into the central station, having just made a trip from Johannesburg. The train is filled with Mozambican nationals fleeing the violence in South Africa. This man decided to leave. Four months ago his brother decided to leave South Africa as well, but was killed by a mob first. He didn’t know how to speak Zulu so he was targeted. This woman has lived in South Africa in 1997 but she gathered her family and sought refuge at a police station in South Africa. Then she came to Mozambique. The Mozambican government has mobilized as quickly as possible to help the refugees and has arranged for food and overnight accommodation for them. This is an attempt to ease the strain on Maputo and the border economy. Many returnees welcome their government’s actions. The government is expecting another train load of returnees in the next coming days. The government provides short term assistance but after that the returnees have to fend for themselves.