South Africans lose income as immigrants flee

Hundreds of immigrants have been gathering outside a pop-up repatriation centre in Durban, seeking to leave South Africa before the looming 30 June “deadline” set by March and March. Photo: Tsoanelo Sefoloko.

Charity Sithole rented out five rooms to immigrants in Mayville, outside Durban, for R700 each, earning her R3,500 a month. Some tenants had lived there for years. Three have now left, fearing for their safety, and the remaining tenants also plan to leave.

“If the foreign nationals went home, I wouldn’t be happy at all because they are paying rent. I am not working, so I am relying on the money,” said Sithole.

“I keep asking myself, ‘Where is Ubuntu?’, the way foreigners are being chased out of the country?” said Sithole. “I am not condoning illegal immigration and I believe everyone should respect the law, however, I also believe that people should be treated with dignity, compassion, and humanity.”

Emanuel Chalongo, a Mayville resident originally from Zimbabwe, said he arrived in South Africa at the start of the year but is now trying to leave before 30 June. He says he has struggled to get permanent work as people are scared to employ immigrants because of the March and March movement.

He found work for at a spaza shop for R500 (the national minimum wage would be R1,055). The man he replaced was chased away by March and March.

Children play in a street in Mayville, a township outside Durban. Photo: Joseph Bracken

Mabhembha Gelenge, from Mozambique, said he is going home as soon as he can afford the ticket. He came to South Africa to find work and save up to open a business in Mozambique. “I will definitely come back,” he said.

A tuckshop owner from Ethiopia, who asked to be anonymous, said he is not worried about the 30 June “deadline” as he can show all the documents required to run his business and has nothing to hide.

Other immigrant shop owners in Mayville were afraid being targeted and refused to speak to GroundUp, for speaking out.

John Mkhize, founder of Cato Manor Masibambisane, a Mayville-based HIV/AIDS support organisation, said many immigrant stalls selling fruit and vegetables have vanished.

“No one has replaced them,” he said.

Authorities overwhelmed at drive-in site

On Friday, the City of Ethekwini issued a statement urging residents, government authorities and organisations to stop directing displaced immigrants to the Old Drive-In, set up earlier this week as a relocation site.

“The Durban Drive-In site is not a provincial reception centre, transit facility or accommodation site for foreign nationals from elsewhere in South Africa.”

12,800 people had arrived since the start of the week, and 11,000 were repatriated, the municipality said.

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