Thousands of foreign nationals, primarily Malawians, have taken refuge at Sherwood Hall and the adjacent park in Sydenham, Durban, after fleeing violent intimidation in the Clare Estate informal settlements. The mass displacement comes amid escalating threats and an impending anti-illegal immigration deadline.
The gathering, which began on Sunday with just 67 displaced individuals, has rapidly expanded to approximately 2,500 people and continues to grow as new arrivals are dropped off by public and private transport. This surge follows a recent repatriation flight that returned nearly 170 Malawians to Blantyre in an effort to escape the deteriorating security situation.
At the shelter, the Department of Home Affairs has deployed personnel to register the displaced persons and issue processing documents required for their return to Malawi. The registration process is currently prioritizing women and children, who form long queues at the hall, while men have been directed to a separate processing area.
Many of the families arrived fully equipped to camp out, bringing household items such as kettles, washing machines, stoves, and bagged clothing. In response to the growing crowd, various humanitarian organizations have mobilized to distribute bottled water, food, diapers, and other aid, while marquees have been erected for mass meal preparation.
Coordination between the Department of Home Affairs and the Malawian embassy is actively underway. An official from the embassy’s disaster management department confirmed that Home Affairs is currently handling the initial paperwork, after which embassy staff will process the necessary travel documentation.
The embassy representative stated they are in direct communication with the Ministry and the High Commissioner in Malawi to expedite the deployment of buses for the return journey. Given the rapidly increasing numbers, officials are working urgently to finalize logistics, with hopes that repatriation transport could be operational by the coming weekend.
According to the embassy official, the displaced individuals are eager to return home to ensure their safety. The representative reported that many were violently chased from their residences and that landlords, fearful of the unrest, are refusing to accept rent from the foreign nationals. Consequently, the residents have opted to leave to avoid further conflict.
The sudden exodus has caused severe disruptions to daily life and education. One documented mother, who arrived at the shelter the previous day after being chased from her home by local Zulu residents, expressed distress over the impact on her child’s education. Her daughter, a Grade 8 student, was scheduled to write examinations the following day but will now be forced to restart her academic year in Malawi.
Despite holding valid documentation to remain in the country, the mother, like thousands of others currently queued at Sherwood Hall, has prioritized her family’s physical safety over their residency status as the repatriation process continues.