Malawian migrants repatriated from South Africa amid xenophobia fears and June 30 deadline

At a temporary repatriation site in Durban, thousands of individuals, including Azadi, expressed sadness and anxiety about leaving. Many waited for buses to transport them to Musina, with concerns about the availability of vehicles. The eThekwini Municipality reported that approximately 7,000 people had been transported to Limpopo by June 28, with 58 buses departing on Sunday and 10 on Monday morning.

Officials were confident that all remaining individuals would be transported by the deadline. Simultaneously, South African Police Service SAPS officers conducted operations in Durban, checking documentation of suspected migrants. Several individuals, including a man from the Democratic Republic of Congo, were detained after police deemed their papers fraudulent, despite claims from those detained that their documents were legitimate.

Acting National Police Commissioner Puleng Dimpane stated that 195 suspects had been arrested since March 1 in connection with anti-foreigner demonstrations, and over 2,800 undocumented individuals were arrested in the past week. By Monday night, all Malawian nationals at the Durban site had boarded buses for Musina, with the site left with only discarded belongings.