Thousands face uncertain future as buses carry undocumented Malawians home.
Image: DOCTOR NGCOBO
One by one, families clutching bags filled with the few possessions they have left climbed aboard waiting buses on Thursday, marking another chapter in the mass movement of undocumented Malawian nationals from the temporary shelter in Sherwood.
Children stayed close to their parents as officials coordinated departures, while buses prepared to begin the long journey north. For many, it signals the end of months of uncertainty after thousands gathered in Durban seeking assistance to return home.
Overseeing the operation, KwaZulu-Natal Department of Home Affairs head Cyril Mncwabe said the repatriation process was progressing steadily.
"Today we are continuing with the process as we have been doing. Currently we are busy loading buses that are for the people that have been confirmed by the court from yesterday," he said.
The operation has already seen multiple buses cross into Malawi, with officials working alongside Malawian authorities to facilitate returns.
"We have been informed that about 10 buses have already arrived in Malawi," Mncwabe said.
He stressed that those being processed were in South Africa without the required documentation.
"None of these people are legal. All of them are undocumented and illegal in this country," he said.
According to Mncwabe, authorities are implementing two separate mechanisms to enable departures. One is a repatriation programme funded by the Malawian government, while the other is a deportation process managed by South African authorities, with officials assisting individuals to obtain the documents needed to leave the country.
As buses departed the site, some travellers who had the means chose to arrange and pay for their own transport home, avoiding the official process.
Mncwabe also sought to dispel speculation that government had imposed a deadline for undocumented Malawians to leave South Africa following calls from various pressure groups.
"They listened to the calls from pressure groups saying that they should leave this country by June 30. The government has never issued any deadline," he said.
Wilson Maxwell who went to Sherwood from Eshowe said those pushing for the June 30 deadline don't care whether one has documents or not.
"We understand the situation. We have gone through it. There are so many of us here. We are taking over their jobs and we agree," he said.
The 27-year-old had worked as a gardener before fleeing what he said were alleged xenophobic attacks.
"We are leaving but some are still complaining saying, 'abahambe'. The government has told us to go home and we agree with that."
President Cyril Ramaphosa said the deadline set by anti-illegal immigration groups for undocumented foreign nationals to leave South Africa was 'unnecessary'.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Youth Day commemorations at Nasrec on Tuesday, Ramaphosa said government was already implementing measures to address immigration challenges and would not allow any attempts to destabilise the country.
"The so-called 30th of June, in my view, is not an event that is even necessary because we are addressing the challenges that our people are facing.
"We must not allow South Africans to be duped and to be misled by those who want to foster instability in our country. We will not allow that," he said.
IOL