South African anti-migrant protesters should march peacefully, Cyril Ramaphosa warns
In Durban, which has seen some of the biggest protests, white tents populated mostly by Malawians are being dismantled as authorities try to clear the transit camp.
Women wearing colorful sarongs sat on their belongings as they waited in line to board the bus to Malawi.
A man named Nelson Mbewe said he went to South Africa to look for work to support his family in Malawi.
“But we ran into difficulties; they say we have to return home because we don’t have the right documents,” he told the BBC.
“They say we are Makwerekwere,” Mbewe said, a xenophobic slur used to refer to African immigrants from other countries.
“This is their country, so what can we do? So we accepted that we had to do this.” [unwillingly] Go back home.”
Malawian Hassan Phiri, whose procedures are still waiting to be processed, had a message for the protesters.
“All I want to say to South Africans is that we are all one. No matter what happens, no matter what, Africa must remain Africa.”
“There can be no Africa without South Africa, no Africa without Malawi, no place without,” he told the BBC, adding: “So no matter what, we have to love each other and stick together as Africa.”
