S.Africa processes over 15,000 Malawians for repatriation ahead of protests

Thousands of Malawians were awaiting clearance in makeshift encampments in South Africa Friday as tension mounted before an unofficial June 30 ultimatum for undocumented migrants to leave the country.

Citizen-led groups have rallied behind the unauthorised Tuesday deadline after weeks of protests, attacks on businesses and threats against illegal migrants in which two Mozambican nationals and a Malawian have been killed.

Malawians were gathered in centres in grim conditions in the southeastern cities of Durban and Pietermaritzburg awaiting buses for 2,000-kilometre (1,200-mile) journey to their country, AFP reporters said.

Conditions at these makeshift camps had become "untenable", Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said.

"To date, a total of 15,162 Malawian nationals have been processed for deportation and repatriation, and more are still undergoing the verification process," she told reporters.

A home affairs official said more than 90 percent of the Malawians who had been processed were undocumented or had expired passports.

By late Friday, more than 2,000 people were queuing outside a camp in Durban to be processed, an AFP reporter said.

There were thousands more inside but the numbers were difficult to verify as journalists were refused access.

More Malawians flocked into Durban's Old Drive-In temporary camp on Friday awaiting repatriation. By MARCO LONGARI (AFP)

"I don't know what life will be like back home because there are no jobs," said 22-year-old Mike Rabson, a contruction worker. He had to leave behind his pregnant girlfriend.

About 50 volunteers worked with a catering company distributing hot meals, bottled water, juices, and even toys for children.

Six kilometres away, another group of immigrants -- mainly from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi and Rwanda -- were stranded outside a government office where they had been camped for weeks.

'We feel abandoned'

"We feel abandoned," said 38â€'yearâ€'old Burundian Rwakayero Omari, who said he had been chased from work and told by his landlord to leave his home.

In Pietermaritzburg, around 1,500 Malawians, mostly men, gathered among filth and litter behind a fence with a few bags and suitcases.

"The situation now is not right, it's too bad," one man said.

"You can see there's a lot of people, people are stuck... Some of us are not getting food," the 37-year-old said. "The water we drink is not clean but ... we have no choice."

A Malawian national died in the city after being attacked following a march a week ago. Police said they were investigating a case of murder.

Late last month, two Mozambicans were killed "during activities associated with anti-foreigner demonstrations" in the southern town of Mossel Bay, police said.

The growing security fears have led several countries including Malawi, Ghana, Nigeria, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo to organise voluntary repatriations that have seen thousands of people leave.

South African authorities have vowed to crush any attempts to destabilise the nation during planned anti-immigrant marches on Tuesday to coincide with the deadline set by fringe anti-migrant groups.

They have also warned mobs that have been going from house to house to tell migrants to leave, or demanding to check their documentation.

The police have announced tightened security while government officials have stepped up efforts to ensure calm, including meeting the influential Zulu Royal House.

South Africa's Border Management Authority has said it processed 8,200 foreign nationals -- mostly Malawians but also Zimbabweans -- for repatriation between June 12 and 24 at the border post with Zimbabwe.

A Malawian national was also killed during a march in Pietermaritzburg. By MARCO LONGARI (AFP)

Among Africa's largest and most industrialised economies, South Africa has long been a prime destination for people seeking work even though its own unemployment rate hovers around 32 percent.

Competition for scarce work has fuelled resentment, and some South Africans blame migrants for poverty and crime.

Past flare-ups of violence targeting undocumented foreign nationals have been deadly, with 62 people killed in riots in 2008.