Thousands of kilometres from home, hundreds of Malawian nationals have spent days sleeping at their country’s diplomatic mission in Pretoria while waiting for transport back to Malawi, highlighting the growing humanitarian pressures linked to recent anti-immigration tensions in parts of South Africa.
Many arrived at the Malawi High Commission earlier this week carrying only essential belongings. Every time officials called out names for departing buses, crowds rushed towards the vehicles, hoping to secure one of the limited seats available.
For many, however, the buses filled before their names were called, forcing them to remain at the mission for another night.
A woman carrying her infant described the emotional strain of the long wait. Although relieved that arrangements were being made for citizens wishing to return home, she said the limited number of buses meant many families continued to be left behind.
She explained that she had travelled to South Africa earlier this year and had been living in Pretoria’s Arcadia suburb. While she said she had not personally experienced violence, she believed returning home was now the safest option.
Growing Humanitarian Needs At The Embassy
Aid organisations say the number of people seeking assistance has increased sharply in recent days.
Yusuf Mustafa from the Institute for Islamic Services said volunteers have been providing food, drinking water and fruit to foreign nationals gathered outside the Malawian, Mozambican and Nigerian diplomatic missions over the past three weeks.
According to Mustafa, approximately 500 people were waiting outside the Malawian mission on one morning alone. Food supplies, however, were insufficient to meet demand, with volunteers able to serve only around 300 people, leaving about 200 without breakfast.
He said children and pregnant women were among those most affected and expressed concern that many required medical attention while waiting for transport.
Families Displaced From Several Provinces
DA ward councillor Shimmy Mashamaite said many Malawian nationals had travelled from different provinces, including North West and Mpumalanga, after leaving their homes.
Among those waiting at the embassy were mothers with newborn babies, including infants only a few weeks old.
Mashamaite said some families reported being instructed by landlords to vacate their accommodation immediately, while others were allegedly given as little as 30 minutes to leave.
The situation reflects broader challenges facing migrant communities as fears surrounding anti-immigration protests continue to influence daily life in some areas. Diplomatic missions have increasingly become gathering points for foreign nationals seeking assistance, temporary shelter and transport home.
With available buses unable to accommodate everyone at once, hundreds remain at the Pretoria mission awaiting the next opportunity to return to Malawi.
Source: The Citizen