MUSINA, LIMPOPO – The Beitbridge repatriation operation has gained significant momentum as South African authorities accelerate the deportation of illegal immigrants, with the Musina Repatriation Centre serving as a critical processing hub for thousands of foreign nationals. As buses continue to arrive from Cape Town and other provinces, the Department of Home Affairs is working to clear the massive backlog, though challenges remain regarding processing speeds, living conditions, and the tragic death of a detainee in transit.
Home Affairs manager Albert Matsaung confirmed that the numbers at the facility are gradually decreasing and described a positive mood regarding the ongoing operations. “This is an elephant that we are going to eat piece by piece,” Matsaung stated, noting that relevant stakeholders are present and performing well. He added that the South African Police Service (SAPS) has picked up additional cases and is continuously investigating them. According to the department, more than 4,000 illegal immigrants—the majority being Malawian nationals—were processed and repatriated on Sunday alone, with officials hoping to process over 5,000 individuals today.
Despite the progress, the operation has not been without tragedy. Limpopo police are currently investigating the death of a 47-year-old Malawian national. Matsaung confirmed that the man died after suddenly taking ill on a repatriation bus while en route to the Beitbridge Port of Entry from the Musina Repatriation Centre.
At the Musina facility, illegal immigrants face lengthy queues for verification and must obtain stamps from either the Zimbabwean or Malawian embassies to pass smoothly through the Beitbridge border post. Many have been waiting in winter conditions for more than five days. Detainees report that the lines move slowly and the environment is dusty, with children suffering from the flu.
Among those waiting is a Zimbabwean hairdresser who has spent three days at the centre with her three children. While awaiting repatriation, she has been braiding the hair of fellow immigrants for free. She previously worked at a hair salon in Mankweng, outside Polokwane, and has lived in South Africa since 2010, having previously worked in Pretoria. She noted that she used to pay 2,000 to rent a chair at a salon and 1,500 for her accommodation, while participating in a savings club. Now facing an uncertain future, she plans to return to Zimbabwe to care for her mother and children, hoping to start a business in gardening or feeding chickens. “My kids were in a government school in Zimbabwe and were not paying school fees,” she explained, adding that they will now need to pay fees and buy books. “We are going to make a plan. God will provide.”
Humanitarian organizations have played a critical role in supporting the illegal immigrants at the Musina centre. Volunteers reported feeding up to 25,000 people a day at the peak of the crisis, with numbers steadily rising from 1,000 to 3,500, 8,000, 10,000, 12,500, 15,000, 20,000, and finally 25,000. However, they noted that the numbers are now decreasing, with more people leaving than arriving. Most holding centers have closed; Epping has a few hundred people waiting outside, churches in South End have about 200 people left, and a group in Deon was recently put on buses.
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) in Limpopo expressed satisfaction with the conditions at the Musina Repatriation Centre. The commission has been assisting with food at the showground since Monday, spending between 3,000 and 4,000 daily to feed the detainees.
Meanwhile, tensions over immigration policy persist in Durban, where illegal immigrants continue to camp on the streets. Community leaders utilized 11 buses—two provided as a gift and nine from Home Affairs—to reduce the number of people at a local gathering spot from 800 on Friday. However, due to continuous new arrivals, the numbers fluctuate; one community leader noted that while there were 215 people when they left yesterday, the number had grown to 386 by today. Advocates are appealing for more buses to transport the individuals directly to Musina for processing to prevent local bottlenecks.
The repatriation efforts have yielded significant results for Zimbabwe. The Zimbabwean government confirmed that approximately 60,000 of its citizens have returned home. Official figures indicate that over 11,000 Zimbabweans were repatriated through intergovernmental collaboration, while an additional 47,700 returned of their own accord.
Zimbabwean President Emerson Mnangagwa has called on the public to warmly welcome their returning compatriots. Reaffirming his government’s commitment to assisting them, he emphasized that no citizen should be left without support as they rebuild their lives. “Come home. Let us continue to build, modernize, industrialize, and develop our beloved motherland together. Zimbabwe as a united country,” Mnangagwa urged. In response, Zimbabwean authorities have pledged to provide transport, temporary accommodation, psychosocial support, and other social protection services to the returning citizens.
