MORE than 1 000 Malawian nationals have sought shelter outside Sherwood Hall in Sydenham, Durban, after fleeing violence and intimidation in informal settlements in Clare Estate.
Image: Leon Lestrade / Independent Newspapers.
The Malawian government is looking to repatriate close to 1,200 of its nationals amid growing fears of anti-immigration protests.
About 1,200 individuals have been camping outside Sherwood Hall in Durban, and Malawian government officials are preparing buses to take them home. This comes as fears grow over the June 30 deadline for illegal immigrants to leave the country.
Adam Ali, an official from the Malawian Embassy in Durban, said the situation has become desperate, and he prefers to have the Malawian citizens transported out of Durban as soon as possible. He mentioned that some people were so fearful they abandoned their homes and have been sleeping outside for the past three days.
“The situation is tense, and the people are fearful, especially after one of the Malawian nationals was accosted by individuals and stabbed while coming home from work. He is in hospital as we speak. There are about 1,200 people for whom we are trying to organise buses to take them home. We are engaging with the government to organise the buses because the situation these people are facing is unacceptable,” Ali said. He noted that among those camping are Malawians who are fearful; some have been in the country legally, while others have not.
A representative of the Malawian embassy said people had been sleeping outside for the past three days.
Image: Leon Lestrade / Independent Newspapers
“The situation here is terrible. There are women and children, and some are even pregnant, and they have been sleeping in the open air. The local councillor has assisted with the provision of tents, and we understand that more tents are going to be brought in to accommodate those present here while we look for a solution,” he said.
Ali spoke of the desperate situation people are facing: “There are NGOs that have been assisting them, and if they could help with the provision of transport to take these people back home, I would be most grateful because this is pressing. I cannot wait for my government to organise the required transport to take them back. The people in the office (at the Malawian government) are not seeing what I am seeing here. There are women, small children, and no proper sanitation. This is how disease could spread,” he added.
Another Malawian man expressed his fear of staying in the community, stating he opted to leave his home in Sydenham (Durban) following the spread of reports of attacks directed at Malawians.
“We have been sleeping in this open place for the past three days. There is no water or sanitation; the toilets were only brought in that day,” he said.
Osman Bhoola, who has been in South Africa for 17 years, expressed his hope to come back when things have calmed down. Speaking about his stay in South Africa, he said he had been living well with his community.
“I was even part of some of the community structures that addressed the challenges and resolved disputes between the Malawians and the locals.” He noted that each time there was a dispute, they would meet, the matter would be discussed, and things would work out. However, he stated that things changed as tensions escalated as a result of the anti-illegal immigrant sentiments which started gaining momentum earlier this year.
He explained that things came to a head on Sunday when criminals attacked some Malawians. “People were attacked in their homes, and their items were stolen. This happened in several houses, and people started fearing this was linked to the June 30 deadline, causing panic to spread. We have been here since Sunday. I have been here for 17 years; I will go home and return properly when things have settled down,” he said.
DA councillor in the area, Warren Burne, said there were efforts to try to assist those who are at the park. He mentioned that a tent had been put up to accommodate the people until the weekend. Toilets have been brought in, and there are people trying to assist those who have been affected.
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