The relocation of vulnerable Malawian nationals -- including women, children and people with health challenges -- to the newly established Drive-Inn site is currently underway as government intensifies efforts to expedite the repatriation process.
This is part of measures to reinforce legal migration in a manner that upholds constitutional imperatives, while observing the principles of ubuntu.
Speaking during a media briefing on Saturday, eThekwini Municipality Mayor Cyril Xaba emphasised that the Drive-Inn facility had been secured as a temporary staging area to support the orderly and humane return of Malawian nationals who have been staying at the Sherwood site for extended periods.
Xaba said the relocation of vulnerable groups had already begun, while the Sherwood site would remain operational during the transition.
“The Drive-Inn site will serve as a temporary staging area to help fast-track the deportation and repatriation process,” Xaba said.
According to the mayor, one of the key advantages of the new site is that access can be effectively controlled, which will help minimise the movement of people and enable us to conduct an accurate headcount of those requiring assistance.
He commended the Ward 26 community, including residents and businesses, for their support in establishing the facility and reiterated that the site was not intended to become a permanent settlement.
“Government has made it clear that it has no intention of establishing refugee camps. This situation required urgent intervention, and government acted to provide a practical and sustainable solution,” the mayor said.
To improve humanitarian conditions at the site, a range of services has been deployed. Non-governmental organisations have donated two marquees with a combined capacity of 5 000 people, meals, and other basic necessities.
The municipality has provided water, electricity, waste skips, ablution facilities, a medical facility staffed by healthcare workers and buses to transport people between Sherwood and the Drive-Inn site.
Law enforcement officials continue to maintain order at the Sherwood facility and provide escorts for buses transporting people to court and to the new site.
Xaba praised officials from the Department of Home Affairs and the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development for accelerating the processing of individuals in recent days.
He revealed that close to 4 000 people have already been deported or repatriated, with authorities recording a significant improvement in the pace of departures.
“[On Friday] alone, we were able to dispatch eight buses carrying 784 people returning to Malawi,” he said.
The mayor said government had shifted its focus from deportation to repatriation, a move aimed at streamlining the process.
“This process is less bureaucratic as it is implemented through cooperation with the Malawian government and it does not require court processes. The South African government has made available 20 busses to expedite repatriation,” Xaba explained.
He expressed gratitude to all stakeholders involved, including government departments, non-profit organisations, faith-based organisations and community members, for their role in helping authorities find what he described as a “sustainable and humane solution” to the situation. – SAnews.gov.za
