NEWLANDS, CAPE TOWN — Approximately 500 Malawian nationals who were temporarily housed in a Newlands church after being relocated from Cape Town have departed for Blantyre. However, community leaders and government officials remain on high alert as South Africa approaches the critical June 30 immigration compliance deadline.
Deputy Government Spokesperson William Baloyi confirmed that the government is closely monitoring the situation. He noted that the Department of Home Affairs and the Malawian Consulate-General are actively working together to facilitate the voluntary return of the nationals and ensure full compliance with immigration requirements. To maintain order and ensure community calm, law enforcement agencies have been deployed to the area.
The recent housing of the Malawian nationals in Newlands drew immediate attention from local leadership. Bishop Dulton Adams, a member of the Provincial Legislature, recounted the events that unfolded in his constituency. On Saturday afternoon, Adams was contacted by local activist Anie Michaels and traffic officials after nine to ten buses arrived at a shop and a church on Main Road.
According to Bishop Adams, the situation quickly became tense as over 500 Malawian men, women, and children were accommodated inside the church. Describing the overcrowded and untenable conditions, Adams noted that the facility was never meant to hold so many people. The group was initially waiting for the Malawian consulate to transfer funds via EFT to pay for buses to transport them back to Blantyre. Although they originally planned to leave by midnight on Saturday, they remained for three days until the funding was secured. By 8:00 AM the following day, all the buses had departed, leaving the church and shop empty.
While the immediate situation in Newlands has been resolved, broader anxieties regarding the looming June 30 deadline persist. Bishop Adams emphasized that citizens across South Africa are deeply concerned about the presence of undocumented migrants. He placed the responsibility on the Border Management Authority and government leadership, citing long-neglected, porous borders as the root cause of the current challenges.
“We must take the example of men like Bishop Tutu, Allan Boesak, Trevor Huddleston, and Frank Chikane,” Adams urged, calling on the church to act as the conscience of the government once again. He issued a clarion call for all clergy and faith-based organizations to be physically present on the ground on June 30 to maintain peace and advocate for the legalization of undocumented foreigners.
Addressing resource allocation, Adams acknowledged the Acting Minister of Police’s announcement of R600 million to assist the army and police. However, he stressed that financial injections alone are insufficient and that a collective citizen effort is required to prevent violence. He appealed to the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the military to engage with the public without provocation, recognizing that citizens are grappling with severe unemployment, inequality, poverty, and food insecurity.
Warning against a repeat of the July 2021 unrest—which claimed 350 lives—Adams emphasized that all leadership, from the President to local community figures, must work together to ensure no lives are lost. He advocated for peaceful protests, stating that while foreign nationals must regularize their status or return to their home countries, the process must not devolve into violence.
Despite the impending deadline, the local economic landscape in Newlands remains largely unchanged. Bishop Adams observed no visible movement of foreign nationals leaving their businesses, noting that shops occupied by foreign nationals on Main Road, Stateless Street, and other major shopping centers continue to operate as usual. He reiterated his call for peaceful compliance, praying that the June 30 deadline will not plunge the country into further destruction.