DURBAN — Amid national tensions over migration, informal settlements in Durban reveal a complex daily reality where economic dependence and social friction coexist. While political debates and protests dominate headlines, residents on the ground describe a more nuanced picture of survival, cooperation, and occasional conflict.
For 50-year-old Nonhlanhla Bhungugu, the issue is not political ideology but daily survival. Supporting five children, including her brothers, through a small informal business, she says foreign nationals are vital to her livelihood. “I don’t have a problem with them living here. We live in harmony,” Bhungugu stated. “What hurts me the most is that foreigners are the ones who are supporting my shop buying chicken feet, tomatoes, and the locals are not buying my goods. They support me a lot.”
Her sentiment is echoed by another local vendor from the Eastern Cape, who requested anonymity. Selling chicken feet in the same settlement, she explained that her entire livelihood depends on the very people some protesters want to leave. “I want foreign nationals around because they are the ones supporting my business. They supply me with fresh produce at good prices. If they are forced to leave, my business will collapse and I will be forced to pack up and go back home to the Eastern Cape.”
Other residents describe a generally integrated community. One spokesperson noted, “We haven’t had any problems with the foreign nationals. Even local businesses that we have, the majority of them are South Africans. So we do have certain people who are saying that they are not happy about the foreign nationals, but if you try to look at it, there are minor problems.”
However, not all perspectives are conciliatory. Some residents directly blame foreign nationals for recurring challenges in the densely populated settlements. One resident pointed to fire hazards: “I want them to leave because they are disturbing us. For example, there was a fire and they started it and now people are leaving tents.”
Employment concerns also fuel tension. “I think they should leave South Africa, documented or not. We want those with special skills or those who provide skills we do not have,” said another community member.
Cultural differences were cited as another source of friction. One resident expressed frustration over sanitation practices: “We have tried to engage them but we cannot coexist. They throw bones, feathers and food items down the toilets. In fact, they throw everything into the toilet. We are tired.”
Despite these divergent views, the overarching reality in these settlements remains one of interdependence. Economic necessity often overrides political rhetoric, creating a fragile but functional coexistence. As residents navigate daily life, their experiences underscore that migration is not a monolithic issue but a layered human story woven with threads of conflict, cooperation, and shared survival.
