Sipho Jack | Published 2 hours ago
As Sherwood grapples with an unprecedented influx of more than 10,000 foreign nationals camping outside the local community hall, residents have raised concerns about hygiene, safety and the overall impact on their neighbourhood.
The situation has escalated over the past two weeks, with civil rights groups and others calling for the migrants to leave the country by the June 30 deadline, against the backdrop of potential violent flare-ups.
On Wednesday, tensions reached fever pitch when many Malawians expressed their frustration over the wait for repatriation and became boisterous.
Police reportedly responded by firing teargas and rubber bullets.
Mac Prinsloo, a lifelong resident of Sherwood, shared his perspective on the humanitarian crisis unfolding in his backyard.
"Despite our differences in skin colour, we all bleed the same," he said.
Prinsloo highlighted a poignant incident involving a pregnant woman who unexpectedly gave birth to twins on a Saturday, saying it was indicative of the distress women and children faced under the challenging circumstances.
However, he was unable to ignore the harsh realities that came with the mass gathering of people on their doorstep.
"The noise at night is unbearable; it disrupts our sleep."
He suggested that the government's best response would be to speed up the repatriation process, but understood that delays were partly due to some immigrants not having the appropriate documentation.
Nick Naidoo, a Sherwood resident, also spoke about the issues the overcrowding had brought to the community.
"With thousands of people crammed into a confined space, the impact has been detrimental," he said.
"The noise disturbances were severe, raw sewage odours, traffic congestion and road closures have troubled us."
Naidoo welcomed the municipality's attempts to alleviate the situation, albeit partially, by relocating some individuals. This included moving men to the old Durban drive-in site in the North Beach area, while vulnerable women and children remained behind.
Moreboys Munetsi, representing the Zimbabwean community in South Africa and the Chloe Chiwuta Foundation, echoed growing concerns about the health and safety issues arising from the Sherwood situation.
He described the area as a "ticking time bomb", pointing to the absence of sufficient medical resources and paramedics, which had raised fears of a potential health crisis.
Munetsi urged the government to declare the situation a national disaster to enable swifter responses from relevant authorities. He also expressed concern about the poor health of some people at the site.
Although he acknowledged that relocation efforts could provide temporary relief, he said the daily arrival of new migrants continued to exacerbate the unfolding crisis.
However, not everyone held a sympathetic view of what had happened in Sherwood.
Mary Cyrus, 65, said she felt overwhelmed by the harassment and abuse that had occurred in the area.
Security personnel corroborated her sentiments, reporting a significant uptick in crime that had resulted in numerous muggings, leaving both South African and foreign nationals feeling vulnerable.
"I can’t say it’s solely due to foreign nationals, but both communities are feeling the pressure," she added.
ActionSA criticised the use of municipal facilities and resources to accommodate illegal immigrants.
The party's provincial leader, Zwakele Mcwango, spoke about the urgency required to address the situation and blamed the government for allowing it to spiral out of control through inaction.
"The law is clear: entering or remaining in South Africa illegally is a violation of the country’s immigration laws," he said.
Cyril Mncwabe, the provincial manager for the Department of Home Affairs, confirmed that all undocumented individuals in Sherwood were considered illegal immigrants.
During a media briefing, he explained the repatriation processes the department had implemented.
He said: "The issue is whether they are legal or not legal; I explained that none were legal. All of them are undocumented and illegally in the country."
Mncwabe also contextualised the challenges South Africa faces regarding immigration policies, particularly around undocumented migrants and their repatriation or deportation.
He said the repatriation process was funded by the government of Malawi because South Africa was unable to finance the costs.
"If it's repatriation, that is the process that is funded by the government of Malawi because the government of South Africa can't pay for repatriation," he explained.
"The second avenue, deportation, necessitates a more judicial process, which means people have got to go to court and get confirmed for deportation," Mncwabe noted.
This process is stipulated in South Africa's Immigration Act, which requires a legal framework to ensure deportation is conducted lawfully.
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