After losing businesses, jobs and property in South Africa, 1,030 Ugandans who came back home following xenophobic attacks have been handed a fresh lifeline. President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has dished out millions in direct support and billions to help them rebuild. Meeting the returnees at the National Leadership Institute (NALI) in Kyankwanzi, where the group […]
After losing businesses, jobs and property in South Africa, 1,030 Ugandans who came back home following xenophobic attacks have been handed a fresh lifeline.
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has dished out millions in direct support and billions to help them rebuild.
Meeting the returnees at the National Leadership Institute (NALI) in Kyankwanzi, where the group has been camped for weeks, undergoing counselling, skills training and rehabilitation Museveni announced that each returning family will receive Shs2 million, while their SACCO will be injected with Shs2 billion to help them restart businesses and create sustainable livelihoods.
The 699 adult Ugandans who returned home after fleeing xenophobic attacks in South Africa are set to receive a financial boost from President.
The returnees include 438 men, 261 women and 331 children aged up to 16 years.
Museveni told the returnees that the financial support was meant to help families meet immediate needs while the SACCO funding would allow them to rebuild through collective investment.
He encouraged them to use Government wealth creation programmes, including the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga, to establish income-generating activities. He also advised them to explore the four sectors including ICT, Services ,Agriculture and Manufacturing.
The President said Uganda has opportunities for citizens to create wealth and improve household incomes without being forced to seek survival abroad under difficult conditions.
Museveni directed the returnees to document all businesses, property and investments they lost during the attacks. He said Government would engage South African authorities to pursue compensation for the affected Ugandans.
The President said proper documentation of losses would be critical in helping Government present their cases. This is after Museveni revealed details of a telephone conversation with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, where he expressed disappointment over attacks targeting Ugandans and other Africans.
He said he reminded Ramaphosa of Uganda’s historical support for South Africa during the struggle against apartheid.
“I supported the African National Congress for 60 years and you chased away my grandchildren,” Museveni said he told Ramaphosa.
The President questioned the use of the term “foreigners” to describe Africans living in another African country, saying xenophobia has no place on the continent.
He argued that those involved in the attacks were not only harming fellow Africans but also undermining the image and values of the African National Congress (ANC), which benefited from support across Africa during the liberation struggle.
Museveni also conveyed condolences to the families of the three Ugandans who lost their lives during the attacks.The Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs Hon. Haruna Kasolo noted that the government had given 10 million shillings to the families of each of the deceased.
The Prime Minister Rt. Hon Robinah Nabbanja who was in attendence also clarified that efforts are still underway to evacuate another six hundred Ugandans currently in Pretoria, via the Uganda Airlines.
The 1,030 returnees who completed their programme at NALI are returning to their respective districts, equipped with skills, psychosocial support and Government assistance to begin rebuilding their lives.
