Congolese refugees approach KZNCC for help
Written by Lethiwe Mdluli on 14 February, 2019
By: Nompendulo Ngubane
Congolese refugees living in some parts of the province say they want to go back to their country of origin.
This is after more than 200 Congolese living in KZN and other provinces approached the KZN Christian Council to assist them to return home.
These refugees say they are currently facing challenges in South Africa such as the language barrier, threats of xenophobic attacks which has made life difficult.
The KZNCC and other stakeholders conducted a meeting with different government departments, including Home Affairs to discuss on how these refugees can be assisted.
Brian Minga-Anza, who is a Congolese refugee says he hopes all the efforts to go back home are successful.
“I have decided to go back home. I have been living here for 10 years and I’ve had a good experience but also a very bad experience. I have been witnessing xenophobia since 2015 and before that I was a student at DUT and from there you learn that the process of registering is very difficult. As a foreigner it’s not easy, it’s hard to get the right documentation. Getting a bank account is a big issue, even with getting a job as a graduate is hard. The permit I have is for an asylum seeker which is used by many foreigners that are here and that does not allow you to get a job. These circumstances force us to go back home,” said Minga-Anza.
Meanwhile the Deputy Chairperson of the KZNCC, pastor Nkosinathi Myaka, says they have been talking to different government officials who have promised to help.
“We have contacted the DRC government along with the minister of International Relations. The minister has paid us a visit and has committed to try and help even though the political climate in the DRC is not good at the moment. They have said that they will try and reconnect them with their relatives and also provide grants for them for a few months until they are back on their feet. Our job is to try and get help for them through NGO’s,” said Myaka.
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