Southern Africa: Diplomatic Tension Erupts As SA Tells Malawi to Reimburse Deportation Costs

What the report says

South Africa has formally asked Malawi, Nigeria and Ethiopia to help cover part of the cost of deporting undocumented migrants, according to a report by Nyasa Times distributed by AllAfrica. The article says the South African government has spent about R292 million this year on deportations, far above the R60 million originally budgeted by the Home Affairs department.

The issue was raised in a briefing to Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs, where director-general Tommy Makhode said the repatriation effort had forced officials to use money from other, unplanned budget lines. The report says transport has been the biggest expense. Pretoria has reportedly sent the request through the Department of International Relations and Cooperation to the three governments, with Malawians described as the largest group affected.

The story adds that about 83,000 migrants were processed through the Lindela Repatriation Centre in Johannesburg, and that a temporary facility in Musina, which cost R48 million to set up, is now being reduced in size. Malawi’s foreign ministry had not publicly responded at the time of the report. The development matters because it highlights the financial strain and diplomatic sensitivity surrounding migration enforcement in the region, as well as growing debate in South Africa over the cost and management of deportations.