Foreign nationals still stranded weeks after March and March deadline, The Citizen reports

Nearly a month after the national March and March movement’s 30 June deadline, many foreign nationals from Malawi and Nigeria remain unable to return home, according to The Citizen.

High commission still receiving hundreds

Three weeks after the initial march, hundreds of foreigners continue to arrive at the Malawi high commission to catch a bus back home, The Citizen reports.

Families, newborns and pregnant women affected

Yosef Mustafa, from the Institute for Islamic Services, who serves lunch to those waiting, told The Citizen the situation had worsened after they had thought it was improving.

“Two days ago, we experienced an unfortunate incident when newborn babies were brought in from Potchefstroom, twins who were held with their parents at the embassy, are now sleeping outside in the cold.”

Mustafa also told The Citizen:

“There are many pregnant women. While we were feeding them, two fainted and had to be taken to hospital,”

and said the embassy had limited ability to help the women.

Employers and paperwork challenges

The Citizen reports a Delareyville, North West, farmer drove to the high commission to help a worker who was struggling to reapply for a work permit because the worker’s passport expires in six months. The farmer spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.

According to The Citizen, the farmer said:

“The other workers were at the busy department of home affairs to try and get answers,”

and that he had immediately sent one worker without a permit home when unrest broke earlier in the month.

The farmer told The Citizen:

“The problem is many of these foreigners have been working for me for years and have become part of the business and know what they do. To start over and train new workers will be a huge setback. I have spent a few thousand to keep my workers’ paperwork up to date and keep them in the country,”

the farmer added.

Law enforcement and impersonation concerns

The Citizen reports Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said incidents were reported of individuals conducting unauthorised identity checks on foreign nationals and businesses falsely claiming to be home affairs officials. Kubayi said the South African Police Service had been requested to probe incidents brought to the Inter-Ministerial Committee’s attention and that law enforcement had arrested seven suspects in Polokwane.

Reporting for this article is based on material published by The Citizen.