‘My son doesn’t want to leave his school’: Malawians camp outside Sandton consulate

“My son cried because he doesn’t want to leave his school and his friends.”

These are the words of Chris Ngulube, 34, as she held her baby in her arms outside the Malawi consulate in Sandton, Johannesburg, on Monday, where more than 650 Malawians have been camping since the weekend while waiting for transport to return home.

Around her, children played between piles of baggage. Mothers breastfed babies on the pavement as volunteers handed out food to families.

Ngulube has lived in South Africa for 20 years. She built a life in Diepsloot, where she has three children with her South African boyfriend. But after years of living without valid immigration documents, she says she has no choice but to leave.

“My passport expired and I don’t have proper documents. I have accepted that I must go home and fix my papers,” she said.

The decision means her 11-year-old son has been forced to leave grade 6 before the school year ends.

“He was crying yesterday [Sunday]. He said he doesn’t want to leave South Africa because of his school.”

Ngulube, who describes herself as a pastor, said she first came to South Africa to do business before answering what she believes was God’s calling to preach the gospel.

To support her family, she sold second-hand clothes door-to-door.

“I didn’t even have bags to pack. I only had two small bags and black plastic bags until church members donated luggage for me.”

She said her children do not have birth certificates, making it difficult to access services and education. “When I get home, the first thing I must do is fix our papers,” she said.

Another mother (name withheld) sat feeding her two children with food provided by volunteers.

She said she has lived in South Africa for eight years but has spent the past six months struggling alone after her Malawian boyfriend disappeared. “He said he was going to look for work, but he never came back and never called.”

Since then she has survived by doing piece jobs while trying to feed her children and pay rent.

“Sometimes my landlord gave us food like beans and maize meal. When I couldn’t pay the R500 rent, I had to sleep with him to cover the rent.”

Though the situation in her home town will not be easy, she believes it offers a chance to rebuild her life.

Nearby, Shakira Selemane said she is hoping for transport paid for by her government.

“My brother, his wife and their children left yesterday [Sunday] using their own money. He left me behind, but I understand because I’m not working. This is my only chance to get home,” she said.

They had been told state-funded buses would arrive on Monday to transport families to Musina in Limpopo before continuing to Malawi.

She is desperate to leave the area where they are camping now because she does not feel safe sleeping outside with her children.

TimesLIVE spoke to another mother, Fatima Nkando, who cradled her nine-month-old daughter while waiting for transport.

She said she has struggled to survive after her husband was arrested two years ago in Johannesburg for not having proper documents.

“I don’t know when he will be released. I have not been working, and he was the one providing for us.”

Despite the uncertainty waiting for her in Malawi, she is looking forward to seeing her elderly father again.

“My father is 74 years old. I don’t know how he has been surviving, but I’m happy that I will see him soon,” Nkando said.

The Malawi Diaspora Humanitarian Support Initiative said it has stepped in to help stranded families return home.

National co-ordinator Pascal Msiska said volunteers had raised funds to hire buses and were appealing for more support as the number of people seeking assistance continued to grow.

He said the organisation was also trying to move vulnerable families to Musina while waiting for transport to Malawi.

DA ward 106 councillor Chris Santana said the situation had become increasingly worrying for the stranded families and nearby residents.

He said there were about 416 people outside the consulate on Sunday, but by Monday the number had grown to more than 650 and could continue rising.

“This should never have reached this point,” Santana said.

He criticised what he described as a lack of co-ordination in managing the humanitarian situation and appealed for more funding to transport people away from the area.

“I’m trying to avoid this becoming a permanent campsite because that creates even more problems. We need to get people safely out of here as quickly as possible.”

TimesLIVE