The Ugandan government has reaffirmed its commitment to provide Shs 2 billion to citizens who returned from South Africa following xenophobic attacks earlier this year. This financial assistance aims to cushion the returnees who lost their livelihoods when they left South Africa. The pledge was made by President Yoweri Museveni to support the formation of a new Savings and Credit Cooperative Society (Sacco) as a financial buffer for the returnees.
Dickson Ogwang Okul, a foreign service officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, addressed the South Africa returnees at a financial literacy graduation organised by Enterprise Uganda in partnership with Equity Bank Uganda. The two-day training equipped returnees with financial management and entrepreneurship skills to help them establish businesses and manage their finances. Okul urged the recipients of the money to put it to good use and informed them that the government was working to facilitate the safe return of the remaining 700 Ugandans still in South Africa.
According to Okul, the government has found a way to work with Uganda Airlines to bring back the remaining Ugandans using empty seats on flights. This initiative aims to ensure the safe return of all Ugandans stranded in South Africa. Meanwhile, Mathias Baguma, the chairman of the South Africa returnees, stated that the returnees still needed more assistance, as most of them are struggling to rebuild their lives in Uganda after many years away.
Baguma noted that none of the returnees had repatriated any assets or received compensation for the properties they left behind in South Africa. He also shared that the training provided valuable insights into business growth, emphasising the importance of the right mindset and effective resource management. The returnees learned how to manage available resources and apply their entrepreneurial experience gained abroad to their new circumstances in Uganda.
Bob Paul Lusembo, the head of microbusiness at Equity Bank, expressed the bank's commitment to providing financial assistance to the returnees through affordable loans. This support aims to help the returnees establish and grow their businesses in Uganda. Charles Ocici, the director general of Enterprise Uganda, highlighted that the returnees required specialised business support due to their lack of local business records, property, or collateral to secure credit.
Ocici explained that Enterprise Uganda's role was to help the returnees rebuild their confidence, identify business opportunities, and apply their entrepreneurial experience to their new circumstances in Uganda. The organisation aims to provide the necessary support to help the returnees establish successful businesses and integrate back into Ugandan society. The training and financial assistance are critical steps towards enabling the returnees to regain their footing in Uganda.
The government's pledge of Shs 2 billion and the partnership between Enterprise Uganda and Equity Bank Uganda demonstrate a concerted effort to support the South Africa returnees. The assistance provided will help the returnees to recover from their ordeal and rebuild their lives in Uganda. Key initiatives include financial literacy training, affordable loans, and support for entrepreneurship, all aimed at empowering the returnees to establish sustainable businesses and reintegrate into Ugandan society.
Key points
- The Ugandan government has reaffirmed its commitment to provide Shs 2 billion to citizens who returned from South Africa following xenophobic attacks.
- The government is working with Uganda Airlines to bring back the remaining 700 Ugandans still stranded in South Africa.
- Enterprise Uganda and Equity Bank Uganda are providing financial literacy training and affordable loans to support the returnees in establishing businesses and managing their finances.
