Thousands of Malawians shelter at Sherwood Hall as KZN mounts emergency response

Sherwood Hall in Durban has become the focal point of a fast-escalating humanitarian situation, with around 10,000 people from Malawi sheltering on the grounds as authorities mobilise to manage the displacement.

Conditions and immediate concerns

Local officials warned that dropping night-time temperatures are making conditions at the site harsher. The provincial leadership described the concentration of people in improvised group settings as a vulnerability that must be addressed.

Government response and coordination

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli, speaking on site, called the unfolding events “a crisis, which we must manage.” He said structured coordination was needed and supported establishing a committee to help streamline communication and response efforts:

“This situation here, unfortunately, is a crisis, which we must manage,”

and

“I am in agreement with the people who are here that we must establish a committee. We’ll be doing just that.”

Ntuli said the government supports fast-tracking removal processes where appropriate, alongside repatriation efforts, and described a preference for deportation where repatriation would take too long:

“I’m happy with the approach that has been taken by our national government to take a route of deportation because we can’t wait for repatriation if it’s going to take quite some time,”

he said.

He warned the scale of the situation was unpredictable:

“When we already have over 10,000 people here, you don’t know how many will be here tomorrow and next week. We might have more coming into this place,”

and stressed the need to avoid leaving people vulnerable in large groups as temperatures fall:

“We want to ensure that the people who are here are not adversely affected by being here in large groups,”

he said.

Systems being expanded and repatriation logistics

The provincial office confirmed that national departments are mobilised and that processing and transport systems are being expanded to manage the growing numbers. The government said transfers to the Lindela Repatriation Centre will be used for those subject to deportation procedures.

Malawi government response

The Malawi government described the situation as a national humanitarian emergency and set out the scale of the demands involved in a statement that said:

“With an estimated 10,000 citizens in distress and awaiting repatriation, the scale and urgency of the operation have created unprecedented financial, logistical and humanitarian demands.”

In that statement Malawi called for coordinated support, saying:

“We believe this is a national humanitarian mission that requires the collective effort, compassion and solidarity of all stakeholders. Together, we can ensure that affected Malawians return home safely, with dignity and hope for a fresh start.”

Next steps

Premier Ntuli said government would produce a plan for a longer-term, structured response, acknowledging that officials had not anticipated the scale of the current situation:

“We will produce a plan that will be taking care of this situation because, as government, we did not anticipate what is happening. Now it’s happening and we must step in to ensure that there is a proper plan,”

he said.