Inserts:

00:03 Report / Sella Oneko 
00:35 Miriam Mlanga / Malawian leaving South Africa 
00:56 Johannesburg - April 29, 2026
01:23 Clifford Mabe / Gift of the Givers NGO
02:05 Sella Oneko / DW Correspondent / At the South Africa - Zimbabwe border
02:29 Albert Matsaung / Home Affairs provincial manager
03:17 Miriam Mlanga / Malawian leaving South Africa 

Script:
It's 7:00 am at the Musina repatriation center – a temporary camp South African authorities set up close to the border to Zimbabwe. People have their bags packed and their children bundled up. They hope they don't have to spend another cold and uncomfortable night here.  

Miriam Mlanga lived in Johannesburg for nine years. Cleaning houses, she made enough money to feed herself and one of her children, while the rest of her family stayed home in Malawi. Yet she no longer feels safe in South Africa.  

0:32 
Miriam Mlanga – Malawian leaving South Africa (Female ENG) 
There where I was staying it's not alright. People were, talking too much. And they were telling us that we are going to fight you until you leave here. And even your houses, we're going to break your houses until you leave here. So to say the truth, we were in fear. 

Please add date: Johannesburg - April 29, 2026

0:50 
The threat of xenophobic attacks hangs over everyone here. Anti-immigrant groups have called for undocumented foreign nationals to leave., Foreigners have been harassed. And self-styled vigilante groups have carried out door-to-door campaigns to push people out.  

1:06 
South African authorities say they repatriated over 50,000 foreign nationals in the past month - 30,000 through this border alone. As new buses arrive here every day, aid groups provide the basic needs. 

1:21 
Clifford Mabe – NGO, Gift of the Givers (Male ENG) 
The camp can host about 30,000 people. Last week we had about 22,000 in the camp. The team has been on the ground since day one. We've been pushing, serving hot meals, giving baby diapers. Baby formulas, some blankets. Because we understand, that other people need blankets to sleep on, especially kids and mothers.  

1:43 
Authorities say most people in this camp do not have a legal immigration status or are undocumented 
This is why officials are verifying their identities and issuing travel documents for the journey ahead.  
Not everyone is willing to speak on camera, but many people tell us they've lived in South Africa for years. Some were even born here.  

2:03 
Sella Oneko – DW correspondent 
All the people here have been waiting here with all their belongings for the buses to take them across the border to Zimbabwe, and then on to their home areas in Malawi. They've had their papers processed, but now they're waiting for the transport to take them back home. 

2:16 
While South Africa has had outbursts of xenophobic violence in the past, the number of people leaving is unprecedented. Immigration authorities have a lot to catch up on.   

2:27 
Albert Matsaung - Home Affairs, provincial manager (Male ENG) 
The numbers themselves have reflected that we have got quite a lot of people that do not really respect the immigration laws of our country.  It also teaches us that there are some other things that we also have to strengthen. We have to make sure that we strengthen our border processes. We have to ensure that there are systems, they, we bring in new technology that can assist us also to be able to let you know that you know what, you have been here, you have been allowed 30 days. You are now on day number 80 or 90.  

2:58 
The Department of Home Affairs however warned South Africans not to take the immigration matters into their own hands.  
For Miriam,, the abrupt departure means an uncertain future. She has family in Malawi, but doesn't know how to make ends meet.  

3:15 
Miriam Mlanga – Malawian leaving South Africa (Female ENG) 
When I’m there, I don’t know what to do. I don’t know where to start. I'm just going because it's my home.  

3:20 
Most of the people here still have one or two days ahead of them on the road.  And as these buses leave, more people are expected to arrive at the South African border. The pressure on foreign nationals shows no sign of easing.