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The number of Malawians seeking shelter in Durban after recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa has nearly doubled in just 24 hours, reaching more than 5,000, according to community leaders.
Mobs armed with sticks, whips, and shields have been demanding that foreigners without legal papers leave the country by June 30.
“We have got 5,002 registered,” said Matthew Chikwemba, a leader of the Malawian nationals gathered in a field outside Durban. He added that the figure rose from around 3,000 the previous day and included 1,220 women. Families continued to arrive throughout Thursday, some coming from as far as Pietermaritzburg, roughly 90 kilometres away.
The surge in displacement followed heightened tensions after two Mozambicans were killed during a May 29 march against illegal migrants in Mossel Bay, Western Cape. These attacks have revived fears of repeating the deadly anti-migrant flare-ups that South Africa has experienced in previous years.
Over the past weekend, more than 150 Malawians were evacuated from the Western Cape, at least 1,000 Mozambicans have left, and Ghana and Nigeria have begun repatriating hundreds of their citizens.
The Malawi embassy in Durban has been coordinating evacuation plans.
“The plan on the table is that our priority would be repatriating women first, using buses to ferry them to Malawi, and men would be dealt with later,” said embassy representative Adam Ally.
Among those displaced is a 39-year-old pregnant woman, Chilembe, whose landlord told her to leave her rented room before June 15 to avoid danger.
“I think I’m better off going back to Malawi for the rest of my pregnancy,” she said. Similarly, 41-year-old Scariot Banda fled Pietermaritzburg after threats from locals, taking only what he could carry.
A UNHCR delegation met with KwaZulu‑Natal Premier Thami Ntuli in Durban, expressing serious concern over the humanitarian situation and urging immediate measures to protect vulnerable foreign nationals.
