By Palesa Matlala
- More than 2,000 undocumented Zimbabweans, including mothers and babies, are waiting for travel documents while sleeping at a Home Affairs repatriation centre in Cape Town.
- Hundreds of Malawian nationals have also been left stranded outside their country’s consulate in Johannesburg as they wait for help to return home.
Families left in limbo as repatriation crisis grows
Thousands of undocumented migrants are facing an uncertain future as repatriation efforts struggle to keep up with growing numbers.
In Cape Town, more than 2,000 undocumented Zimbabwean nationals spent Sunday night at the Department of Home Affairs repatriation centre in Epping after leaving the streets outside the Zimbabwean Consulate in District Six.
Many of them are women and young children, with babies making up a large part of the group.
They had spent several days sleeping on pavements while hoping to receive assistance to return home.
Humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers says the situation is becoming increasingly difficult.
Project manager Ali Sablay said many Zimbabweans believed they would receive travel documents directly from the Home Affairs centre.
Instead, they first have to be processed before the Zimbabwean Consulate issues the documents needed for their journey home.
Sablay said the biggest problem is where the thousands of people will stay while they wait.
“We are sitting with a bigger dilemma. Once these people are processed, where do they go? Home Affairs does not have the capacity or the mandate to accommodate them,” he said.
He said many people could once again be forced to sleep outside while waiting for travel documents.
Gift of the Givers has stepped in to provide humanitarian relief.
The organisation is supplying three meals a day, bottled water, blankets, sleeping mats, hygiene packs and baby care packs.
Sablay said many mothers have also raised concerns about their babies needing medical treatment.
Some fear visiting clinics because they do not have the correct documents, while others worry they could miss transport back home if they leave the centre.
At the same time, another humanitarian crisis is unfolding in Johannesburg.
Nearly 400 undocumented Malawian nationals spent the weekend outside the Malawian Consulate in Sandton hoping for transport back to Malawi.
Many arrived carrying bags, blankets and young children.
But the consulate remained closed throughout the weekend.
Those waiting said they received no information about when they would be helped.
The situation follows the return of thousands of Malawian nationals over the past few weeks after anti-illegal immigration protests in parts of South Africa.
As the 30 June demonstrations approach, many undocumented migrants remain uncertain about what comes next.
Meanwhile, some communities are distancing themselves from the planned nationwide protests.
Overstrand Mayor Archie Klaas said residents of Zwelihle in Hermanus will not take part in the demonstrations.
Several churches, religious organisations and trade unions have also condemned violence and called for anyone who attacks people or damages property to be arrested.
The South African Police Service and the South African National Taxi Council have assured the public that transport services are expected to operate normally.
In Du Noon, one of the Western Cape’s identified hotspot areas, the South African National Civic Organisation said it does not support the planned protests.
Chairperson Sinethemba Matomela urged residents to stay away.
“We are not part of this March and March planned for 30 June and we are against it,” he said.
However, organisers say demonstrations are still expected to go ahead in several parts of the country, including Gansbaai.
Authorities have urged everyone taking part to remain peaceful and allow law enforcement officers to maintain order.
Pictured above: Gift of the Givers is providing food, blankets and other essentials to thousands of undocumented migrants waiting to return home.
Image source: Gift of the Givers
