Terror and tears as Malawians are forced to abandon their lives in SA

With fears mounting over March and March’s anti-immigrant deadline, Malawian migrants prepare to depart South Africa, caught in a whirlwind of anxiety and urgent repatriation efforts.

Azadi stood in the middle of the 1km² site, clutching his sleeping baby close to his chest. Surrounded by luggage wrapped in plastic, standing on a ground littered with rubbish, a mournful, far-away look was fixed on his face.

Overcome with emotion, Azadi lifted his beanie and wiped away a tear. “I am sad to be leaving, but I must go back to Malawi because this situation is not right,” he said.

An emotional father, who only gave his name as Azadi, holds his baby while waiting at the repatriation centre before boarding a bus for repatriation to Malawi on 29 June. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)

The man who identified himself only as Azadi has spent the last three years calling South Africa home, and his feelings perhaps encompass those of the thousands of people at the temporary repatriation site on Monday.