DURBAN, KwaZulu-Natal — The ongoing Sherwood Hall humanitarian crisis in Durban has escalated beyond a local policing matter, prompting urgent discussions about a coordinated disaster management response. According to Durban University of Technology (DUT) disaster risk management lecturer Dr. Kylah Forbes-Biggs, while the situation may not yet require a formal state of disaster declaration, it demands immediate, accountable leadership to protect vulnerable displaced populations and uphold South Africa’s constitutional obligations.
The crisis centers on thousands of displaced Malawians and other asylum seekers currently living in suburban spaces with no bathing facilities, limited sanitation, and inadequate waste infrastructure. With winter approaching, cold nights spent sheltering under makeshift arrangements carry a high potential to spread influenza among highly vulnerable infants, small children, and pregnant women.
Dr. Forbes-Biggs notes that the context of the Sherwood Hall humanitarian crisis has shifted significantly since the initial outbreak of the issue. While large numbers of people were originally displaced from communities and moved to a drive-in site, raising severe public safety concerns for both local residents and the displaced persons, the extent of the problem has since reduced.
“At this stage, I would say the situation is manageable, but it needs proper leadership,” Dr. Forbes-Biggs explained. She emphasized that before resorting to a formal disaster declaration, all relevant government departments—including public safety and Home Affairs—must take urgent, coordinated decisions to manage the situation effectively.
However, Dr. Forbes-Biggs highlighted the strategic value of formally invoking Section 55 of the Disaster Management Act. If the eThekwini Municipality, with provincial support, were to declare a local state of disaster, it would unlock specific emergency funding streams. This would allow the municipality to access external resources and support rather than being forced to reallocate its own existing budget to cover the costs of managing the crisis. Such funding could be directed toward emergency processing measures and local solutions that protect individuals who are legally in the country.
A core component of the expert’s analysis is the critical distinction between undocumented individuals and those with legal status. Dr. Forbes-Biggs stressed that South Africa is a constitutional democracy where elected officials have specific, accountable roles. She cautioned against rhetoric that prioritizes the removal of all immigrants over the constitutional rights of citizens, while simultaneously affirming that individuals holding legal asylum seeker permits and refugee status under South African law have a fundamental right to be here and to be protected from violence.
“If there is a problem with the law, then we need to reform the constitution. But we also need to ensure that our citizens are taken care of,” she noted, adding that when citizens have access to good services, healthcare, and schools, society is generally more patient and cohesive.
The stakes of mismanaging the Sherwood Hall humanitarian crisis extend far beyond local borders. Dr. Forbes-Biggs warned that South Africa cannot afford to ostracize itself from regional trading partners in the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Allowing brutal optics that mirror hardline nativist rhetoric, such as that seen in recent anti-immigration rallies in the United States or Northern Ireland, carries wide-ranging implications for the country’s international reputation, foreign investment, and trade relations.
Despite the severe challenges, Dr. Forbes-Biggs acknowledged that tangible progress has been made since the most acute phase of the crisis, with many individuals successfully moved through the system. She concluded that how eThekwini Municipality navigates this complex scenario could serve as a vital good-practice model for other regions, including communities in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape, which are also experiencing growing immigrant populations.
Ultimately, the path forward requires holding the government accountable for past failures in national immigration policy while ensuring that all individuals within South Africa’s borders are treated in accordance with the rule of law and basic human rights.
