Repatriation gathers pace, 40 buses in transit

Efforts to beat the June 30 deadline for foreign nationals, including Malawians displaced by xenophobic attacks in South Africa to head home, have intensified with 40 buses reported to be in transit to Malawi.

Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma) Commissioner Wilson Moleni in an interview yesterday said at least 3 000 Malawians have already been repatriated while another 2 600 are currently in transit heading back home.

Some of the returnees captured on arrival at Kamuzu Stadium. | Nation

“Some of the buses are being cleared at Beit Bridge [border post between South Africa and Zimbabwe]. These 40 buses have been sponsored by the South African Government,” he said.

The Malawi Government is seeking to repatriate about 15 000 citizens who registered for voluntary return from South Africa following xenophobic attacks, according to Dodma.

But Moleni said as authorities intensify repatriation efforts, the number of people reporting to transit camps continues to rise.

He said the growing numbers are stretching the capacity of Malawian officials coordinating the operation both in South Africa and at the reception centre at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre.

Moleni added that government has so far spent about K5 billion on the repatriation exercise.

Anti-immigration groups such as March and March and Operation Dudula have called on undocumented immigrants to leave South Africa by June 30 2026.

Over a week ago, thousands of Malawians gathered at a makeshift camp outside a community hall in Durban awaiting repatriation.

South African publication the Daily Maverick reported on Monday this week that the Malawians were on Sunday moved to a larger repatriation site at Durban’s Old Drive-In facility to ease congestion and improve processing.

The publication quoted South Africa’s Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber as having said the processing of returnees has sped up following the relocation.

“From a logistical point of view, we are starting to hit our stride on a very difficult operation,” he said.

Meanwhile, the repatriation programme is projected to cost K24.6 billion comprising K16.8 billion for transportation, of which K14.5 billion is for bus hires, K2 billion for transport support for affected individuals and K83.5 million for fuel.

A further K1.1 billion is for reception services while coordination teams are expected to require K2.4 billion and camp management operations in South Africa are projected to cost K4.2 billion.

To date, several individuals and organisations have contributed to the initiative. They include NBS Bank plc which has pumped in 420 000 rand (about K45.7 million), FDH Bank plc with K100 million while the family of Thomson and Triephornia Mpinganjira has pitched in K100 million.

Prophet Shepherd Bushiri of the Enlightened Christian Gathering-The Jesus Nation is also reported to have hired buses to transport returnees while United Democratic Front president Atupele Muluzi pledged K5 million to an initiative championed by author and social media influencer Onjezani Kenani which has raised K50 million.

Kenani’s fundraising campaign has also attracted donations from several companies and individuals, including Sparc Systems Limited founder Wisely Phiri and his company who contributed K20 million, Creck Hardware with K10 million and MoveSecure Africa K2 million.

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