Displaced migrants at Sherwood Park in Durban are demanding that they be sent back to Malawi and not to the Lindela Repatriation Centre in Gauteng.
Image: AFP
Stranded Malawian nationals, who are facing a deepening immigration crisis in KwaZulu-Natal, have challenged their home government over claims of financial constraints, demanding that Malawi’s wealthiest tycoons step in to bankroll their urgent repatriation.
The demand comes as the Malawian government launched a global appeal for funding to manage what it calls an "unprecedented" humanitarian emergency, with an estimated 10,000 citizens in distress across South Africa following what they said were targeted vigilante attacks.
This comes amid ongoing protests by South African organisations over the issue of illegal immigration in the country and reports of foreign nationals being forced out of informal settlements and other areas by locals.
Displaced nationals currently sheltered at the Sherwood Community Hall in Sydenham, Durban, have expressed deep frustration with the slow pace of state-led repatriation. Many argue that if state coffers are empty, Malawi’s ultra-wealthy elite have a moral obligation to intervene.
Mussah Peter, a Malawian national seeking refuge with his wife and child, fiercely rejected the narrative that resources are unavailable to rescue stranded citizens.
"I hear people say in Malawi there’s no money, but I refuse to believe that," Peter said. "They can’t tell us the government cannot afford to repatriate us. In Malawi, we have very famous, rich people like Mr [Shepherd] Bushiri and Mr [Thom] Mpinganjira. Those people can help us."
The financial gridlock is compounding dangerous living conditions on the ground. Families report severe sanitary strain, with full toilets and a lack of medical staff on-site.
"Our sisters came here pregnant, and others have even given birth in this hall. It is not safe and hygienic for them and us," Peter added, while also raising concerns over alleged corruption regarding individuals bypassing fingerprinting to secure transport spots.
The primary point of contention remains the destination of the transport. Desperate families are flatly refusing to be moved to the Department of Home Affairs’ Lindela Repatriation Centre in Krugersdorp, demanding direct transport home instead.
"We don’t want to go to Lindela Centre. It is already full there," Peter insisted. "They must get buses, put a full tank of petrol, and drive us from here straight to Malawi."
The demand for private wealth intervention mirrors an official acknowledgement from Lilongwe that the state cannot handle the financial burden alone.
In an official press release issued by Malawi’s Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) the Malawian government formally declared the repatriation a "national humanitarian mission."
The statement, signed by Commissioner Wilson Moleni, confirms that while a task team has been deployed to South Africa to issue emergency travel documents and a first batch of citizens returned home on June 9, 2026, the scale of the crisis has created "unprecedented financial, logistical, and humanitarian challenges."
Instead of relying solely on state funds, the Malawian government has published dedicated Malawi Kwacha and Foreign Currency bank accounts with the Reserve Bank of Malawi, appealing to corporate entities, transport operators, faith-based organisations, and international development partners for financial contributions and transport services. DoDMA assured the public that all donations would be managed with strict accountability to facilitate the reception and onward transit of returnees at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre.
Visiting the Durban transit site on Tuesday, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli stated that the provincial government is moving swiftly to prevent the situation from turning into a full-scale disaster.
"I'm happy that already there are trucks from Home Affairs that are waiting to transport them to Lindela, those who have been deported, and even those who will have to be transported as direct," Ntuli said.
However, South African officials are currently facing logistical bottlenecks. While a virtual court system has been set up on-site to expedite Section 32 immigration hearings to legally clear deportations, officials admit they are still waiting on 10 repatriation buses expected from the Malawian government, with no definite arrival timeline.
To bypass the delays, Ntuli revealed that the province is engaging local non-profit organisations (NPOs) and South African private sector donors who are willing to donate extra buses directly to NPOs to facilitate the repatriation process.
A multi-departmental steering committee involving the eThekwini Municipality, the Department of Health, Social Development, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has been activated to manage the immediate crisis, ahead of a broader provincial summit on migration scheduled for June 25.
Premier Ntuli strongly cautioned South Africans against using the crisis to fuel xenophobic sentiment, emphasising that the issue must be managed with human dignity.
"When you see people saying 'we are here illegally and we have heard the call, we are responding to the call, but we don't have the means,' if we have means, we must afford them those means," Ntuli said. "It would be irresponsible of us as the people of KwaZulu-Natal to have such comments [telling them to find their own way back]."
Ntuli concluded that addressing illegal migration must not send a message of hatred. "The problem is not a problem for them. The problem is a problem for all of us... While we address this problem of illegal migration, we must do it in a way that is not communicating that South Africans are anti-other African countries."
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