MUSINA, Limpopo — The Musina repatriation center, situated just outside the Beitbridge border post, continues to manage fluctuating numbers of illegal immigrants as the Department of Home Affairs advances its verification and repatriation operations. Buses transporting foreign nationals from multiple provinces, including the Free State, are consistently arriving and departing from the temporary facility.
According to the Department of Home Affairs, the verification and processing of undocumented immigrants from Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Mozambique remains actively underway. While the majority of those currently being repatriated are Malawian nationals, officials confirmed that a smaller number of Mozambican citizens have also been processed. Notably, two buses carrying approximately 60 undocumented Mozambican nationals departed for Mozambique on July 12, 2026, as part of the ongoing effort. In total, more than 1,000 migrants, predominantly from Malawi, have been repatriated through the center in recent days.
An undocumented Zimbabwean national currently processing through the facility, shared his experience of the repatriation process. Having spent a day and a half at the center, he noted that the administrative procedures are moving efficiently and that basic needs, including food and sanitation facilities, are being adequately met.
He expressed profound relief at the prospect of returning to Zimbabwe, citing increasingly difficult living conditions in South Africa. He explained that foreign nationals have faced mounting hostility, including accusations of taking local jobs, active harassment, and widespread rejection by landlords.
“The situation was very bad where I am coming from,” he stated. “There is no space even to stay in South Africa because the landlords where we stay are refusing or rejecting us. It is better to go back home and stay alive, because life is what is most important.”
Prior to his arrival at the Musina facility, he resided in Durban, where he made a living selling electric gadgets such as solar torches, lights, radios, and phone chargers. He confirmed that he has retained his merchandise and intends to continue his trade upon his return, actively seeking a new space to sell his goods in Zimbabwe.
As the Department of Home Affairs continues its systematic verification efforts, the Musina repatriation center remains a critical transit point, balancing humanitarian processing with the orderly return of foreign nationals to their countries of origin.
