Malawi: Twelve Babies Born At Durban Migrant Camp Are Now On Buses to Malawi

Twelve babies were born at Sherwood Hall in Durban, where thousands of Malawian nationals have been sheltering for nearly two weeks after fleeing anti-migrant tensions in KwaZulu-Natal.

More than 1,200 Malawian nationals are being repatriated this weekend, with mothers and their newborns prioritised on buses travelling home through the Mwanza Border Post.

Twelve babies have been born inside a Durban community hall being used to shelter thousands of Malawian nationals displaced by anti-migrant tensions in KwaZulu-Natal. Their mothers are now on buses back to Malawi.

The Department of Home Affairs confirmed the births at Sherwood Hall, where Malawian nationals have been sheltering for nearly two weeks.

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Provincial Home Affairs Manager Cyril Mncwabe said the last two of the twelve were born the day before he spoke to reporters.

"The babies that were born here on site -- and the last two of the 12 -- it was just a day before yesterday," Mncwabe said.

The mothers and their newborns are included in the voluntary repatriation process and have been prioritised for the journey. More than 1,200 Malawian nationals are expected to return home this weekend.

According to Malawi's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, eight buses carrying 560 people had already departed South Africa, with a further ten buses transporting around 700 more returnees. The group is crossing into Malawi through the Mwanza Border Post before being processed in Blantyre and taken to their home districts.

The Malawian government and the Department of Disaster Management Affairs are receiving returnees on arrival and helping them reach their final destinations.

Sherwood Hall has been under pressure for days. Officials say the facility is overcrowded and sanitary conditions have been deteriorating. The people sheltering there fled their homes in KwaZulu-Natal following alleged threats targeting undocumented migrants.

In Krugersdorp, members of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration visited the Lindela Repatriation Centre on Friday.

The committee includes Justice Minister Mamoloko Kubayi, International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola and Police Minister Firoz Cachalia. President Cyril Ramaphosa established the committee to lead the government's five-pillar strategy on migration.

At Sherwood Hall, SAPS fingerprint experts have been screening every male migrant appearing in court as part of the deportation process.

Mncwabe said no one processed so far has been linked to any criminal activity or flagged as a wanted person.

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One man caught in the process is Curtris Dibayo, a Congolese national held at the Lindela Repatriation Centre and awaiting deportation. He says he did not enter South Africa illegally and has been in the country since 2018. The DRC has not been accepting deportees, leaving him in limbo.

"We really want to go home and fix our papers," Dibayo said.

"We have been trying to contact our government. They are still quiet."