The eThekwini Municipality was forced to abandon plans for a secondary deportation site at the Tills Crescent sports grounds following significant community opposition. The new site is to assist in decreasing numbers at the Sherwood site and also speeding up the repatriation and deportation process.
Image: Doctor Ngcobo/ Independent Newspapers
Facing overcrowding and health risks at the Sherwood site, the eThekwini Municipality initially sought to establish an overflow facility at the Tills Crescent Sports Grounds to accelerate the repatriation and deportation of thousands of undocumented Malawian nationals. This proposal, however, met with swift resistance from residents. The City eventually pivoted, selecting the Durban drive-in as an alternative staging area.
An eThekwini Municipality letter circulating on social media confirmed Tills Crescent as the selected site for the deportation project, citing it as an appropriate venue subject to municipal policy and safety compliance, with support from the Recreation and Parks Directorate.
However, in a media briefing on Wednesday, eThekwini Municipality mayor Cyril Xaba said they faced community rejection.
“Even before we went to talk to them. The instigators had reached out to them and started spreading rumours that we’re bringing all those people who are here to dump them at the next site because the people at Sherwood don’t want them. That is far from the truth. We are creating a new site solely to fast-track the process,” Xaba said.
“I think it was just mischief-making by people who want to really disrupt this process and ensure that they inconvenience this process, but we’ve salvaged it.”
Xaba said they did not want noise, so they decided to relocate the site, which was being prepared and would be ready to transfer some of Sherwood’s immigrants.
He noted the urgent need for a second site due to overcrowding and health risks at the Sherwood facility.
“What we will do, we are decanting. We’ll then take all males from this site (Sherwood) and leave the females, who will still be processed by this court, to the other site, who will then be processed by the physical courts. There’s a possibility of another virtual court being established on that site again,” Xaba explained, adding that services at the Sherwood site would be duplicated at the new site.
Ward 31 councillor Remona McKenzie said residents were concerned about the use of Tills Crescent, citing security, compliance and others.
McKenzie said residents contacted her and asked for her intervention, and when she arrived on site on Tuesday, residents were already present.
“There was word out that I was actually blocking access to departments, which was not true. I was just called by residents because they had a few concerns,” McKenzie said.
She said there was a discussion with officials, and residents raised their concerns about why they would not want the spill to move to Tills Crescent. Residents expressed significant safety concerns regarding the proposed use of the Tills Crescent sports grounds, citing its role as a vital recreational hub for local children and its proximity to a school currently holding exams. They argued that placing a staging area in a residential zone posed unacceptable risks of potential unrest or violence.
“Residents were not saying that they don’t want to help the undocumented residents. They were saying that the municipality needs to do public participation with the residents to inform them as to why they chose their specific spot, and also to raise their concerns,” McKenzie said.
“There was supposed to be public participation. I was supposed to be part of the meetings as the councillor, so I understand the severity of the issue and how I can help as the councillor, and that was not done.”
McKenzie said the mayor also arrived at the meeting, called them to one side and spoke to them individually. They requested a committee of the residents to be formed so they can consult and share with the residents.
She highlighted that although the mayor proposed a seven-day temporary housing limit, residents remained sceptical, citing past broken promises regarding Covid-era facilities and concerns that the continuous arrival of new immigrants would make the timeline impractical. Residents expressed doubts about the seven-day timeline due to ongoing arrivals, suggesting that the municipality should instead use a more central, better-resourced facility for efficient processing.