Crowds continue to gather at embassies in Pretoria as repatriation efforts struggle to keep pace with demand.
Malawians line up to board a bus in front of the Malawian consulate in Johannesburg, ahead of their repatriation to their home country. Picture: Marco Longari / AFP
Braving the cold night, Nigerians are sleeping on the pavement in front of their embassy in Pretoria as they wait to return to their home country, two weeks after the March and March national anti-migrant protests on 30 June.
Traffic cones have been used to cordon off a section of the road, where a group were sitting, pleading for help.
Nigerians plead for help outside embassy
“Please, we need help,” said one, who fled from Ladysmith. He has been living in South Africa for 15 years.
“We need another flight to go home; we don’t have anywhere to stay because they told us to go.”
Another said they needed help for the women and children.
“We are sleeping in the street. Some good Samaritans have brought us food, not the embassy.”
Suddenly, tensions started rising when one group threw a brick at another group – and bottles started flying.
Aid groups respond to growing demand
At the Malawi high commission a few blocks away, it was more orderly.
Foreigners were standing in queues to get medical supplies and food for the day, as Josef Mustafa from the Institute for Islamic Services and his team arrived to serve lunch.
Mustafa said they have seen an increase in the number of arrivals at the high commission.
“In the beginning there was an average of 200 to feed, then 400 – and now about 500, especially when buses don’t come. It takes the buses three days to fetch people, and only 65 and 70 fit on a bus,” Mustafa said.
The institute provides foreigners with meals, winter essentials such as scarves and shoes, and medical supplies.
Mustafa said forced removals were still taking place.
“On Fridays we expect a large number going into the weekends. It is the pattern we are seeing.”
Mustafa said they haven’t returned to the embassies of Mozambique or Zimbabwe because they were empty.
“They seem to be taking care of their people.”
Embassies struggle to keep up
One of the staff working at the Malawian high commission, speaking anonymously, said buses are picking up people every day but couldn’t keep up.
“On Wednesday there were four buses. Every day there are more buses coming in, with up to 300 people a day. Last week, we had more than 500 people fleeing here because there was a door-to-door march in their location.
“Three days before that, it was people from Pretoria West, then it was Laudium, then Mamelodi. We have people coming here as far as Mpumalanga,” she said.
Women and children ‘in need’
Two doctors, who did not want to be identified, handed out medical supplies to foreigners before going to work.
They were concerned about the more than 40 children who had to sleep in the basement of the embassy during the cold weather.
“They are in need,” one said.
Earlier this week, Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said South Africa has deported and repatriated more than 50 000 foreign nationals in recent weeks, as authorities intensify efforts to manage migration amid growing public concern and regional tension.
