Sherwood Park in Durban where displaced Malawian residents have sought safety from anti-immigration protests in Durban.
Image: Zainul Dawood
"We are safer in Malawi," was the common refrain among Malawian nationals who fled their homes and informal settlements in Durban as anti-illegal immigration protests intensified across parts of KwaZulu-Natal.
Hundreds of Malawians abandoned the places they were renting after allegedly receiving death threats. Many sought temporary refuge at the playground of Sherwood Hall on Sunday, with the number of displaced people swelling to an estimated 2,500 by Wednesday.
The situation has heightened concerns across South Africa following a June 30, 2026 deadline issued by anti-illegal immigration groups, the Insizwa Ngobunsizwa Development Foundation and March for March, demanding that undocumented migrants leave the country.
On Wednesday, officials from the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) began processing Malawian nationals gathered outside the hall.
According to eThekwini Ward 30 DA councillor Warren Burne, immigration officials are manually capturing detailed information on each individual, including family details in Malawi, personal information, health records, and the clinics or doctors they had used while living in Durban.
Other questions contained in the five-page questionnaire relate to how migrants entered South Africa, their point of entry and the type of work they performed.
"It is a database of each person's profile. There is a significant amount of information to analyse, and it will provide insight into the lives of those affected and the impact they had while living in South Africa," Burne said.
Officials from the Department of Home Affairs record the details of displaced Malawian residents that have gathered at the Sherwood Hall park in Durban.
Image: Zainul Dawood
He explained that the number of displaced Malawians increased dramatically over a matter of days, with 75 people arriving by midnight on Sunday, 275 by Monday, 500 by Tuesday and approximately 2,500 by Wednesday.
Malawians continued to arrive from various parts of KwaZulu-Natal in minibus taxis and privately hired vehicles.
"It is a well-organised operation, and food aid is arriving almost hourly from humanitarian organisations. I am impressed by how calm the Malawian community has remained despite the stress and uncertainty they are facing," said Burne.
He added that members of the Muslim community had provided tents to shelter the displaced residents from the elements and to afford women and children a measure of privacy during the crisis.
A woman holding triplets said she fled the shack they were renting in oThongathi, north of Durban. She had been queuing to give her details with the hope that she could go back to Malawi.
“We have lost hope here. We are safer at home. We had to leave our jobs and whatever business our husbands created to earn an income. Most people are here because they can never afford the plane ticket or bus fare home,” she said.
A man who identified himself as Bilal said criminal elements had been threatening them for several months where they lived in Clare Estate.
“These people are living among us but want to rob us of our possessions. They kept asking us for money so that we could stay here. I'd rather go back home before I am killed," he said.
Adam Ali, a representative of the Embassy of Malawi in South Africa, said processes are in place and they are working in phases to eventually transport the displaced Malawians home. Ali said safety was a priority and that the embassy was doing all it could to ensure processes are fast-tracked.
Displaced Malawian residents secure their belongings as they prepare to be transported back home following anti-immigration protests in Durban.
Image: Zainul Dawood
On Tuesday, Osman Bhoola, an interim Malawian community leader, said people armed with an assortment of weapons arrived at their doors in informal settlements, threatened their lives and told them to leave the country before June 30. Bhoola said those renting houses and flats were also informed by their landlords to leave.
Burne said he was concerned that skip bins had not been provided while waste accumulated in heaps of discarded plastic and food. Burne said the SAPS's Public Order Policing Unit and Durban Metro Police will be based at Sherwood Park. Cassim Malani of the World Memon Organisation (WMO), said he was overwhelmed with the aid being provided.
Around the tents, heaps of bags and luggage wrapped in plastic are carefully watched. Meanwhile, a total of 150 Malawian nationals left South Africa under a coordinated voluntary repatriation exercise, with the first two buses departing the Western Cape on Saturday, June 6, 2026.
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