Undocumented Zimbabweans and Malawians Vow Never to Return to South Africa, Locals Applaud Decision

• A group of undocumented Zimbabwean and Malawian nationals talked about their time in South Africa before they left the country
• Some individuals noted the struggles they faced with legal documentation and the poor treatment they received before they left
• South Africans reacted strongly online, with many saying they supported the departures and did not want the migrants to return

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.

WESTERN CAPE - A group of undocumented Zimbabwean and Malawian nationals have vowed never to set foot in South Africa again.

The group departed Cape Town's Epping repatriation centre on Monday, 7 July 2026, less than a week after the unofficial deadline for illegal immigrants to leave the country.

Hundreds of migrants had spent several days sleeping in an open field outside the centre before buses arrived to transport them north towards the Beitbridge border crossing. For many, the wait in the cold had only hardened their resolve to go home for good.

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Migrants struggling without papers

Speaking about the situation, Zimbabwean national Luke Maregadze said the ordeal had convinced him that pursuing legal documentation in South Africa was simply not worth it.

"I don't think I'm going to try to do that again because I really want to go to Zimbabwe forever, I don't want to be here anymore. I don't want to come back again," he said.

Malawian national Dickson Master made his way from Robertson, outside Cape Town, specifically to join the repatriation process. He said living without papers had stripped him of any real future in the country.

"I came to Cape Town so I can go back home because I don't have the papers. So now I must go back home. I know when I go back to Malawi, I will never come back here," Master said.

The departures come after the March and March movement called on undocumented immigrants to leave South Africa, setting a deadline of 30 June. Some migrants are still awaiting repatriation by their home governments.

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South Africans react online

Reactions on social media were pointed, with many South Africans expressing support for the repatriations.

@Bulelani Sense KaMamfene wrote:

"We also don't want them back here. We want them to stand for their country. Stay in it and fight for it. We fix our SA; they fix theirs. We owe them nothing; they owe us nothing."

@Anathi AmaSango Nyandeni said:

"But even we SA citizens receive poor treatment, why do these people believe they should be treated better?"

@King Huey Freeman wrote:

"I'll never forgive ANC for this mess they've created; now we have to deal with entitled criminals."

@Jaba Tato Banzi asked:

"Why do they think they are entitled to legal documentation? How did they enter the country without them? Go back to your country and apply for legal documentation correctly."

@Mosanku Mpete Monyake commented:

"Even the last time, they said the same thing. We are not coming back to South Africa."

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@Sanet Ludeke wrote:

"Really fed up with people complaining about being illegal immigrants in another country. In a country where they are not supposed to be. They entered and stayed in the country illegally. All over the world, that's a crime."

@Moreshka Lebona stated:

"That's the whole idea. We don't want you to come back."

Gift of the Givers refuses to leave the repatriation site

Briefly News reported that Gift of the Givers committed to staying on the ground at the Epping repatriation centre in Cape Town.

The organisation vowed to remain until every remaining migrant, who is waiting to be repatriated goes back to their country.

The Epping centre has since officially closed, with remaining foreign nationals being transported by bus to processing facilities in Musina.

Source: Briefly News