Malawian Repatriation Delays Leave Hundreds Sleeping Outside Pretoria Embassy in Freezing Conditions

• Hundreds of Malawian nationals remain stranded outside their embassy in Pretoria, waiting for repatriation after anti-illegal immigrant unrest
• Bureaucratic delays and a shortage of transport have paralysed the joint repatriation plan between South Africa and Malawi
• Volunteers weighed in on the situation, noting that many people were forced to sleep outside in the cold, with little to no assistance

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.

GAUTENG - Hundreds of Malawian nationals remain stranded outside their country's embassy in Pretoria, caught in a repatriation gridlock that has left families sleeping in freezing conditions with little sign of relief.

Crowds of people wrapped in blankets and winter clothing are camped outside the diplomatic compound, weary and uncertain about what is going to happen next. The crisis is the latest fallout from anti-illegal immigrant unrest that swept South Africa in June 2026, which prompted thousands of Malawian nationals to register for voluntary repatriation.

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But a combination of bureaucratic delays and insufficient transport has brought the process to a near standstill, leaving those who chose to go home with nowhere to stay and no clear timeline for departure.

Families left in the cold

Volunteers working on the ground have been vocal in their criticism of how the situation has been handled.

"I am very upset with the Malawian government because they are doing nothing. The people slept outside for many days until we came in and told them that it is not acceptable with babies, mothers, all of them sleeping outside in this cold," one volunteer told eNCA reporters.

The Malawian embassy also drew sharp criticism for housing some people in its basement. Conditions there, as captured in eNCA's footage, reflected the broader failure to shelter or process those seeking to return home adequately.

Other stories about Malawian nationals 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.

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Source: Briefly News