More than 1,000 displaced Malawian nationals have arrived at Sherwood Community Centre after tensions in parts of KwaZulu-Natal forced people to leave their communities.
The movement follows an incident in Pietermaritzburg, where police said a 29-year-old foreign national died after allegedly being attacked by a mob at Jika Joe Informal Settlement. Following the incident, foreign nationals reportedly sought shelter at a local mosque before some relocated to Durban.
Authorities are now conducting verification and immigration processing in Durban ahead of repatriation efforts to Malawi.
The eThekwini Municipality has also started moving some migrants to a new temporary site near North Beach to reduce pressure on Sherwood.
Around 60 immigration officers are reportedly processing thousands of Malawian nationals at the site. Officials say many are undocumented. Depending on individual circumstances, some are being processed through court procedures and deportation channels, while others are being voluntarily repatriated.
Authorities also revealed that at least 12 babies have been born at the shelter site during the ongoing displacement period.
A representative of the Malawian High Commission, Muft Sulaimana, said discussions are underway to establish an additional support centre in Pietermaritzburg for displaced Malawian nationals.
He said conditions have been difficult and authorities are continuing to assess what further assistance can be provided.
