Displaced Malawian Nationals fleeing anti-immigration protests have gathered at the Sherwood Hall Park in Durban.
Image: Zainul Dawood
Efforts are underway to document and transport Malawian nationals seeking repatriation as numbers continue to swell in Durban.
The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) National Immigration Branch set up its facility inside the Sherwood Hall in Sydenham and brought along a mobile unit to assist in processing details of those Malawians seeking voluntary repatriation.
Approximately 4,000 Malawians seeking voluntary repatriation have converged on the park since Sunday. They arrived from all parts of KwaZulu-Natal after allegedly receiving threats from anti-illegal immigration groups moving through suburbs, businesses and informal settlements demanding that undocumented migrants leave the country by June 30.
Adam Ali, a representative of the Embassy of Malawi in South Africa, said the priority was to move mainly women and children, as soon as buses become available.
Immigration officials arrived on Wednesday and were manually recording Malawian nationals' details, a process noted as long and tedious. So far, officials had manually recorded the details of 250 Malawian nationals.
The South African Department of Home Affairs have brought in a mobile unit to assist process documents from Malawian nationals seeking voluntary repatriation.
Image: Zainul Dawood
Volunteers and Malawian nationals are assisting DHA with the translation from Malawi’s national language, Chichewa, to English. On Thursday night, senior DHA officials inspected the site and decided to bring in more resources and staff to assist. Ali, who has been on the ground, expressed concern about the health risks of housing thousands of people in an area lacking adequate water and sanitation facilities.
eThekwini Ward 30 DA councillor Warren Burne said the situation was becoming more streamlined on Friday. Burne said the surrounding community expressed growing concern about when and how the situation would end.
“Word is out it is a haven attracting Malawians from as far as Port Shepstone and Empangeni, and it's quite a concern. People behind the scenes have put in a lot of time and effort. It will take time. Everyone wants the issue to be resolved as soon as possible. There is a sense of urgency to deal with the humanitarian issue at hand,” he said.
Mandla Nsele, eThekwini Municipality's spokesperson, said any allegations of assault or acts of violence should be reported to the South African Police Service (SAPS), the appropriate authority to investigate and take necessary action.
“Members of the public who feel threatened or have information relating to such incidents are encouraged to report these to their nearest police station,” he said.
Shaik Imraan Subrathie, an ANC MP in the National Assembly, said arrangements are being made to expedite the process for a better, coordinated and seamless system.
“In a crisis, we are here to provide hope and leadership and see that something is being done. We have to deal with crises as they appear. We are concerned about the living conditions in these tents and the park,” he said.
Officials from the South African Human Rights Commission were also at Sherwood Park gathering information.
Adam Ali, a representative of the Embassy of Malawi in South Africa, Mufti Sulaiman and Shaik Imraan Subrathie, an ANC MP in the National Assembly at Sherwood Hall park in Durban.
Image: Zainul Dawood
eThekwini mayor, Cyril Xaba, indicated that the city stands ready to facilitate the repatriation of those wishing to return to their home countries, in collaboration with all relevant stakeholders. He said skip bins for collecting litter and water tankers have been provided.
On Facebook, the Malawi government stated that efforts to repatriate its citizens continue at Lindela Repatriation Centre. Chief Secretary to the Government, Dr. Justin Saidi, said the government will continue providing transit and consular support to Malawians displaced in South Africa.
Burne explained that the number of displaced Malawians increased dramatically over a matter of days: 75 people arrived by midnight on Sunday, 275 by Monday, approximately 500 by Tuesday, 2,500 by Wednesday, and 4,000 by Friday.
Since Sunday, local community organisations have sponsored tents, mobile toilets, and food for the displaced Malawians. Stacks of luggage and goods could be seen outside the tents and under the trees, watched closely by their owners. Government officials were concerned about how these items would fit onto the buses.