Despite nearly 20 000 Malawian nationals having been repatriated over the past few weeks, the number of those still seeking repatriation continues to grow. Some migrants have been transported from Durban, Pietermaritzburg and parts of the Eastern Cape.
The Department of Home Affairs says 90% of these people are undocumented. More than 8 000 left Durban in the past two days alone.
But thousands are still waiting for space on buses at the old Durban drive-in, while others are still waiting to enter the temporary transit site.
More Malawian nationals, women, men and children continue to arrive at the old Durban drive-in, which has been set up as a temporary transit camp.
They are processed before boarding buses bound for Malawi. Limited space inside the camp has forced some people to wait outside until others have departed. Only then are they allowed onto the premises.
One of those waiting is Gift Siyabu, who says he worked as a plumber in South Africa, earning a good living. He is now returning to Malawi – leaving behind his partner and child.
“I’ve been here since September 2017. I was working but not like a proper job, I was doing my own job because I know plumbing. I know how to plaster. It was good, my job, because I was used to charging my own prices, the amount that I wanted. I have a daughter here and even my wife, she really loves me. I tried talking to her to tell her let’s go together to Malawi, she refused.”
Moosa Lodge says he does not blame the government or civic groups for demanding that undocumented foreign nationals leave the country. He hopes to come back to South Africa once he has obtained the proper documentation.
“After we get the right papers, we need to come back because we living here and we were working. You see, there are thousands and thousands of people working in different places. Some were working in the companies. And then as we are leaving now, bosses are crying for the workers now. So, we need to come back. But the government officials by the border must check that you got the right documents to work.”
Mildred Maas is five months pregnant. She says a doctor earlier scheduled a caesarian section due to complications, but she decided to rather leave the country.
Malawian nationals have called for the process to be speeded up. The Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration has announced that foreign nationals gathered in Durban will be transported to a temporary repatriation centre that is being set up at Musina.
No timelines were given.
VIDEO | Thousands of undocumented Malawians queue in Durban to be repatriated:
Facts Only
* Nearly 20,000 Malawian nationals have been repatriated over the past few weeks.
* The number of migrants still seeking repatriation continues to grow.
* Migrants have been transported from Durban, Pietermaritzburg, and parts of the Eastern Cape.
* The Department of Home Affairs states that 90% of these people are undocumented.
* More than 8,000 left Durban in the past two days alone.
* Thousands are waiting for space on buses at the old Durban drive-in or to enter a temporary transit site.
* Migrants are processed before boarding buses bound for Malawi at the old Durban drive-in, which serves as a temporary transit camp.
* Limited space in the transit camp forces some people to wait outside until others depart.
* Gift Siyabu stated he worked as a plumber in South Africa and is returning to Malawi, leaving his partner and child behind.
* Moosa Lodge expressed hope for return once proper documentation is obtained.
* Mildred Maas is five months pregnant and chose to leave the country rather than face complications.
* Foreign nationals gathered in Durban will be transported to a temporary repatriation center at Musina.
Executive Summary
Full Take
The narrative surrounding repatriation exposes a stark conflict between state mandates, individual agency, and systemic vulnerabilities. The emphasis on statistics (90% undocumented, 8,000 departures) frames the situation as a simple matter of control and enforcement, potentially obscuring the complex human costs involved in forced migration pathways. Personal testimonies introduce profound moral dimensions: an individual leaving family behind due to perceived economic hardship, and another leaving during pregnancy for health reasons. This framing shifts the focus from policy implementation to the ethical compromises necessitated by state actions. The tension between those seeking departure (driven by personal necessity or risk) and those wishing to return (driven by established social and economic anchors) highlights a power imbalance where formal legal status is pitted against lived reality. Furthermore, the systemic solution—transporting migrants to Musina without timelines—demonstrates an authoritative approach that prioritizes logistics over due process or individual planning. The counter-rhetoric from lodge owners emphasizes the economic dependency of migrants on South African labor markets, suggesting a potential pattern where state demands for departure ignore the established economic realities and contractual needs of those who have contributed to the economy, illustrating a dynamic where humanitarian concerns are subordinate to administrative necessity.
Patterns detected: ARC-0043 Motte-and-Bailey, ARC-0109 Authority Games
Sentinel — Human
This text appears to be human-written journalistic reporting, characterized by localized detail and the careful integration of diverse sources, particularly personal testimonies, alongside official statements.