Malawian Official Blames South Africa and Malawi for Illegal Immigration Issues, Social Media Reacts

• A disaster management officer working with the Malawi High Commission in South Africa weighed in on the anti-illegal immigration protests
• Adam Ali discussed who was to blame for the thousands of Malawian nationals who are illegally in South Africa
• Social media users weighed in on Ali's statements, with some agreeing with him and others criticising his view on the situation
• A manager of a bus company spoke to Briefly News about the rush before the 30 June deadline

Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.

MALAWI - A disaster management officer working with the Malawi High Commission in South Africa has sparked a debate on social media following his comments about demonstrations against undocumented foreign nationals in the country.

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Adam Ali shared his thoughts about who was to blame for the ongoing crisis during an interview with Newzroom Afrika on 21 June 2026, but not everyone agreed with his stance.

His comments come as thousands of Malawian nationals await repatriation following ongoing protests aimed at the presence of illegal immigrants in South Africa. Thousands of Malawian nationals were based at the Sherwood Hall site, as processing continued, but they have since been moved to a new site at the Durban Drive-In.

What did Ali say?

During the interview, Ali confirmed that fewer than 100 of the 5,000 Malawians who had already left the country had documentation to be in South Africa legally.

He was then asked about whose fault this was, that Malawians were unaware that they required documentation when living in another country, but Ali blamed both his country and South Africa for the issue.

“We have to blame both governments, South Africa and Malawi, because how are they letting these people come inside the country without proper documentation?” he asked.

“This is a problem with the port of entry. We have to check with the port of entry how people were coming into the country without documentation, he said.

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He added that the Malawian government had learnt a lesson from this, and that both countries now needed to work together to combat the issue.

A manager of a bus company spoke to Briefly News about the demand for buses ahead of the 30 June deadline. He said that there has been a rush for buses ahead of the deadline, with many going towards the Beitbridge border.

How did social media users react?

Many social media users were not impressed with Ali’s comments, while some agreed that he had a point.

@RamafaloMoses asked:

“When are these African leaders going to take responsibility for failing their people?? This man is asked simply question, which is ‘Why Malawian people are running away from their country illegally?’ and he can't answer, so he decides to blame SA.”

@NokwandaK_ said:

“He's not lying. The South African government shouldn't have let them in. Incompetent President Ramaphosa.”

@TsHEpOSim stated:

“He is simply saying we are a Banana Republic, but see our government officials and politicians being interviewed, feeling and acting so smart, while we all know they are airheads.”

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@khutsomydj noted:

“But this guy is not answering the question. Why are Malawians running away from Malawi?”

@AsaManoo claimed:

“When it comes to illegal immigration, South Africa appears to be running on autopilot. There is no clear strategy, no sense of urgency, and no visible political will to address the problem.”

@tac50__ stated:

“I agree with him. The blame is on the South African government. Why are they allowing illegals?”

@Aya_Muzi added:

“That’s why you must close the borders and deport people the moment they overstay. You let people come here, and they disrespect us to a point where even their government is disrespectful to our own government.”

@phume_sibisi stated:

“If you come to my doorstep knocking and there’s no response, that means there is no one there. But you coming inside the house and dining without my authority is a crime. What makes you feel comfortable in another man’s house without authority?”

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Other stories about Malawian nations in South Africa

Briefly News has covered several stories about the Malawian nationals who were camping outside a site in Durban.

• A Malawian national who was camping outside Sherwood Hall said that he had not had a bath in seven days.
• The Department of Home Affairs confirmed that several babies were born to Malawian nationals at Sherwood Hall.
• Home Affairs stated that no Malawian nationals at Sherwood Hall were linked to crime in South Africa.

Source: Briefly News