Woman who fled anti-immigrant violence marries partner in Malawi

According to IOL, a South African woman who left the country amid anti-immigrant violence has married her Malawian partner and become a citizen in Malawi. The couple held a Nikah ceremony in Mangochi.

From Sherwood Hall to Mangochi

According to IOL, Nokwazi Ncuku was briefly among Malawian nationals who went to live outside Sherwood Hall in Durban before the June 30 “deadline” set by anti-illegal groups for undocumented migrants to leave South Africa. Ncuku left South Africa to be with her partner and has since married him in Malawi.

The ceremony and a public message

According to IOL, Ncuku and her partner, identified as Rasheed, held a Nikah ceremony in Mangochi. IOL quotes Ncuku saying:

“Here is the money for lobola we will send it tomorrow at home I will make a video so you can stop taking me for granted I’m Rasheed’s wife now.”

Wider context at Sherwood Hall

According to IOL, thousands of Malawians sought refuge at Sherwood Hall in Durban, with the number of people at the site said to have climbed to about 10,000. IOL reports that the situation there led to overcrowding, limited access to basic necessities and uncertainty about when people would be able to return home.

Response and processing

According to IOL, the worsening conditions at Sherwood Hall prompted calls for an urgent, coordinated response from provincial and national authorities and humanitarian organisations, and arrangements were made to process and repatriate Malawian nationals who wanted to return home.

Note: All claims in this article are attributed to IOL.