A crisis on Durban's doorstep: Fresh unrest reported as thousands remain stranded at Sherwood Hall.
Image: DOCTOR NGCOBO
A volatile humanitarian crisis unfolding at Durban's Sherwood Hall spilled into fresh chaos on Wednesday with clashes breaking out and police forced to intervene as thousands of displaced Malawian nationals remain camped at the site amid growing frustration, uncertainty and deteriorating conditions.
With the number of Malawians looking to be repatriated swelling daily, and tensions rising, government officials are hard-pressed to come up with the required interventions in quick-time.
"No Lindela - we want to go home," the migrants chanted as they ran down the streets on Wednesday, while police allegedly fired stun grenades and rubber bullets.
The Lindela Repatriation Centre is South Africa's primary holding facility for undocumented foreign nationals who are awaiting deportation or the finalisation of their immigration status.
This began in early June as a small group seeking safety has rapidly grown into a sprawling encampment of over 10,000 people, according to KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli.
Many of the Malawians started to congregate in Sherwood after fleeing alleged anti-immigration violence and threats in different parts of KwaZulu-Natal, particularly amid a wave of alleged attacks and intimidation targeting foreign nationals.
Clashes erupt as Malawian nationals protest at Durban's Sherwood Hall
Image: Doctor Ngcobo/ANA Studio
Malawians protesting in Sherwood
Image: Doctor Ngcobo/ANA Studio
As tensions rise at Durban's Sherwood Hall, clashes break out between police and thousands of displaced Malawian nationals, highlighting a deepening humanitarian crisis.
Image: Doctor Ngcobo/ANA Studio
The numbers surged within days, from a few dozen to several thousand as word spread that repatriation assistance was being coordinated at the site.
"All I see is pain here," a man who wished to be anonymous told IOL. There are pregnant women, and kids living in this filth. All they want is to go home. What is so difficult about that?"
eThekwini Municipality and key government stakeholders have agreed on a range of interventions to be implemented within the next 72 hours to speed up the processing and deportation of Malawian nationals who have been staying at the Sherwood site for an extended period.
The measures, agreed to by the Municipality, the Departments of Justice and Constitutional Development and Home Affairs, the South African Police Service (SAPS), and other stakeholders, are aimed at stabilising the situation, reducing humanitarian and public health risks, supporting migrant processing, and expediting deportations.
To ease overcrowding at Sherwood, the Municipality has activated the Drive-In Site as a staging area for overflow accommodation and processing.
Ten municipal buses have been deployed to transport people between Sherwood, the Drive-In Site and the Magistrate's Court. Four buses will operate continuously to support processing and deportation activities.
Additional security personnel have been deployed at the Drive-In Site, while SAPS will maintain a strong presence at both locations to ensure order, assist with crowd management and verify whether individuals scheduled for deportation have any pending criminal cases.
Humanitarian support at both sites has also been strengthened. The Municipality has increased ablution facilities, expanded waste management services and deployed water tankers to supplement water supply.
The Department of Health is providing healthcare services through ambulances and mobile clinics, while efforts were underway to install additional lighting to improve safety and security during night-time operations.
Processing, verification and deportation operations will continue daily in collaboration with Home Affairs, SAPS, the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development and other relevant agencies.
Stakeholders have agreed to move beyond voluntary repatriation and implement formal deportation procedures where applicable and in accordance with South African law.
Under immigration legislation, each undocumented foreign national must undergo individual processing, including identity verification, the issuing of legal documentation and a court appearance before deportation can take place.
To speed up the process, a virtual court linked to the Durban Regional Court has been established at the Sherwood site.
The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development has also committed to establishing six additional courts dedicated exclusively to these matters to increase processing capacity.
Home Affairs and Legal Aid South Africa will deploy additional officials to support the courts and ensure the efficient handling of cases.
IOL