KAMPALA.The first batch of Ugandans to be repatriated from South Africa following a wave of anti-migrant protests will arrive in the country at Entebbe today Thursday (July 2) evening.
This was revealed by the Minister of Works and Transport, Fred Byamukama, on Wednesday.
“Tomorrow [Thursday] evening at 6:30pm, we shall receive the first group of 265 Ugandan nationals to be repatriated from South Africa aboard a special Uganda Airlines charter flight at Entebbe International Airport,” he told journalists in Kampala.
It is a government-led voluntary repatriation exercise following a directive by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni that all costs of the evacuation be fully met by the Ugandan government.
“More than 700 Ugandans have so far registered to return home, and additional flights will be arranged as necessary,” said Byamukama.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to all government agencies, our High Commission in Pretoria, Uganda Airlines, and our community leaders in South Africa for their tireless coordination.”
A wave of protests has swept through South Africa’s main cities, with protesters demanding that every migrant who is undocumented leaves the country.
There have been mounting fears that the protests could become violent, prompting the deployment of security personnel.
In recent weeks, many foreigners, mostly from other African countries, have left South Africa, some citing intimidation and fear for their lives.
Local police said the protests have been mostly peaceful. However, cases of looting have been reported in some locations.
Uganda’s High commissioner to South Africa in Pretoria, Paul Amoru, said they have worked with the South African government to ensure that Ugandan nationals are able to have safe passage from wherever they are to designated centres handling Ugandans wishing to return home.
He said so far, they have four centres: two in Gauteng, one in Cape Town and another in Durban.
“We have received tremendous support from the South African authorities,” said Amoru.
“We have had six technical officials from the Department of Home Affairs at our designated centre here in Pretoria, and they will be clearing the entire group of close to 200 Ugandans that so far are in this particular centre.
“In Johannesburg, we also have about six officials that are working with us, and as of this evening [Wednesday], they have cleared over 300 of our nationals.
“So this means we can confirm, without any iota of doubt, that tomorrow [Thursday], we should be able to see and receive the first batch of our nationals who will be reaching home and touching ground at Entebbe International Airport in the evening at around 6:30pm.”