Refugees huddle together on the streets of Durban, seeking safety and shelter amidst harsh conditions.
For almost two months, refugees have been sleeping on the pavements outside the Home Affairs Refugees Reception Centre on Che Guevara (Moore) Road, huddled together as they face the cold and threat of violence. They are from different countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Burundi, Ghana, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. A number of Malawians have since left.
Seeking protection, the refugees were chased away from the Durban police station by the firing of rubber bullets and received no help during two days at the Diakonia Centre. They were then taken to Home Affairs, where verification confirmed that only two of the 457 people were undocumented.
Princess Adjei, 33, originally from Ghana, came to South Africa as a baby and has grown up here. She said they were attacked at their homes and workplaces.
Adjei said most of her family is gone. They left, but she remained with her son. Sadly, her grandmother, who used to live in South Africa but went back home, fainted and died after seeing what was happening on television.
