The relocation follows the significant increase in the number of Malawian nationals requiring humanitarian assistance and repatriation.
Hundreds of displaced foreign nationals have taken refuge in a park near a local mosque in Durban, after fleeing their homes amid fears of xenophobic attacks. The group, numbering over 800 mostly from Malawi, were left to fend for themselves with only the belongings they could carry. Though no violence has been reported so far, tensions have been fuelled by public anger over chronic unemployment and slow economic progress. South Africa is home to millions of foreign nationals, many of them undocumented. PHOTO:RAJESH JANTILAL
Thousands of Malawian nationals camping at Durban’s Drive‑In site have been relocated to a new Temporary Repatriation Processing Centre in Musina, Limpopo.
This was announced by the eThekwini Municipality on Saturday, 27 June 2026.
Relocation
The eThekwini Municipality said the move is aimed at tightening verification, expediting repatriations through Beitbridge Border Post and easing pressure on existing facilities in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).
“This decision follows a resolution of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration, taken on 26 June, as part of the government’s coordinated response to managing irregular migration and expediting voluntary repatriation processes.”
“The relocation follows the significant increase in the number of Malawian nationals requiring humanitarian assistance and repatriation,” it said.
Malawians
The government has confirmed that more than 15,000 Malawian nationals have already been processed for deportation and voluntary repatriation, while verification of additional individuals continues.
The eThekwini Municipality said the relocation process is being led by the Inter-Ministerial Committee and the relevant national departments, with support from the affected spheres of government within their respective mandates.
“eThekwini Municipality will continue to support and coordinate with the relevant national departments and stakeholders, within its mandate, to facilitate the implementation of the Inter-Ministerial Committee’s decision.
“The municipality continues to engage with the relevant national departments and stakeholders as operational plans are being finalised,” it said.
Durban drive-in
The municipality said the Durban Drive-In temporary repatriation site will be decommissioned once all operational arrangements have been finalised and the relocation process has been successfully concluded.
The municipality urged residents to remain calm, avoid spreading misinformation, and allow the responsible government authorities to carry out this process.
On Friday, the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration (IMC) said it was relocating its main repatriation processing operation for undocumented foreign nationals from KZN to Limpopo.
Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said a temporary repatriation processing centre will be established outside Musina.
Kubayi said the decision followed mounting pressure at temporary repatriation sites, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal, where humanitarian conditions have deteriorated.
“As you might have observed from the scenes at Sherwood [Park], and Che Guevara [Road], [the] Durban drive-in, [and the] Msunduzi areas in KwaZulu-Natal, the Malawian nationals situation had become untenable in terms of numbers and the humanitarian emergencies that [arose].
SA safe on 30 June
Kubayi also assured South Africans that Tuesday, 30 June, will be a normal day for the country, and that the government will ensure that lives and property are not harmed.
“No one must stop anyone from going to work or getting involved in their social activities, nor even prevent any transport or anything from being able to move, because that would be illegal, and they will have to face the consequences.”
Irregular migration
Regarding the management of irregular migration through deportations and repatriations, the committee said there has been progress.
Malawi, Ghana, Nigeria, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Kenya, and the Democratic Republic of Congo had requested the repatriation of their nationals at their own expense.
Kubayi said the repatriation is voluntary, and the requesting countries handled the transport and logistics, while South Africa provides provinces with verification, orders to leave, and case-by-case humanitarian assistance.
