Love Gone Too Far? KZN Woman Pretends to Be Malawian to Leave South Africa With Partner

• A KwaZulu-Natal woman claimed to be Malawian at a repatriation site in a bid to leave South Africa with her male partner
• Authorities grew suspicious after her story fell apart under questioning by different officials at the Musina temporary repatriation site
• Home Affairs warned South Africans not to abuse the voluntary repatriation process and to travel to other countries legally

SOUTH AFRICA - A KwaZulu-Natal woman was caught at a repatriation site after falsely claiming to be Malawian, in an apparent attempt to follow her lover out of South Africa through an official deportation process.

The incident came to light through a report by eNCA, Home Affairs Acting Chief Director Albert Matsaung said the woman arrived at the Musina temporary repatriation site alongside her Malawian partner and told officials she was also from Malawi. Her plan was to use the voluntary repatriation process as a backdoor exit from the country.

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Story falls apart under questioning

It did not take long for her account to unravel. After separate interviews with different authorities at the site, inconsistencies in her story raised enough concern for officials to dig deeper. She was eventually handed over to South African authorities, who confirmed through their own checks that she held South African citizenship.

Matsaung was direct about how the department views such attempts.

"We are not trying to promote illegal immigration to other countries by our own citizens, so this process must not be abused," he said.

He made clear that any South African who wishes to travel to another African country, including those wanting to be with a romantic partner, must go through the correct legal channels to do so.

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The voluntary repatriation process exists to assist foreign nationals who wish to return to their home countries. Officials at the site are trained to verify the identities and nationalities of those going through the process, which is what ultimately exposed the woman's plan.

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Malawian repatriation delays leave hundreds sleeping outside Pretoria Embassy in freezing conditions

3 Briefly News articles on Malawian repatriations

• Briefly News reported that the South African Police Service launched a formal forensic investigation after a Malawian national tragically died aboard an official repatriation bus.
• Photos of Malawian nationals burning their own clothing to keep warm have left many South Africans deeply unsettled.
• An undocumented foreign national admitted to living and working illegally in South Africa while sitting on a cross-border bus heading back to Malawi.

Source: Briefly News