Durban (South Africa) (AFP) – Thousands of Malawians have crammed into a field in the South African city of Durban in dire conditions, desperate to return home and escape a wave of violence against foreigners.
Issued on: 17/06/2026 - 19:14
4 min Reading time
Frustration and anger are building at the makeshift camp at Sherwood Park, where some have been waiting for days for buses to take them back to Malawi, more than 2,000 kilometres (1,300 miles) away.The camp has grown to as many as 10,000 people, according to some reports, all prepared to give up lives they have struggled to create in South Africa and leave as soon as possible.Men, women and children are forced into a few tents during the chilly winter nights as they wait for buses to arrive.A handful of mainly religious and aid groups hand out food, water, sanitary towels and nappies. There are queues for everything.The few toilets are overwhelmed, outbreaks of diarrhoea have been reported and the stench of urine and faeces hangs heavy.Hasani Amadi, 25, took part in a protest this week that drove off two busloads of supporters of a fringe anti-undocumented immigrant group who wanted to visit, a move seen by some migrants as a provocation."Why are these people coming here to harass us?" Amadi asked."They said we must move from the informal settlements... Now we are here, trying to get back home, they are following us," he told AFP.
