Self-proclaimed prophet Shepherd Bushiri has announced that he is funding transport for Malawian nationals returning home ahead of the June 30 deadline set by anti-illegal immigration movement March and March.
Bushiri, who fled South Africa in 2020 while out on bail and is currently based in Malawi, said he had secured at least 10 buses to assist Malawians seeking to return home. The controversial preacher faces fraud and money laundering charges linked to an alleged investment scheme, accusations he has consistently denied while South Africa continues to pursue his extradition.
His intervention comes amid a growing repatriation effort involving thousands of Malawian nationals. Social media videos circulating in recent weeks showed groups of Malawians appealing directly to Bushiri for assistance as authorities and humanitarian organisations struggled to meet the increasing demand for transport.
According to reports from Malawi, more than 2,200 Malawians have already returned home, while over 500 are currently travelling back. An estimated 15,000 Malawians remain in South Africa awaiting repatriation.
In a series of posts on X, Bushiri said the buses were secured in collaboration with the Malawi Consulate in Johannesburg. He stated that while the initial plan was to focus on Gauteng, the operation was later expanded following a request from the consulate to assist Malawians in Pietermaritzburg.
The repatriation drive has intensified in recent weeks, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal, where more than 10,000 Malawian nationals have reportedly gathered at processing sites in Durban.
The situation has been further complicated by reports that some Malawians fled alleged violence in the Jika Joe informal settlement and sought refuge at Mayors Walk in Pietermaritzburg, where many have also requested assistance to return home.
Bushiri said several buses had already departed from Johannesburg and were deployed to support operations in Pietermaritzburg. He added that medical personnel and first aid services had been arranged to assist travellers during their journey.
While expressing a desire to increase the number of buses available, Bushiri acknowledged that financial and foreign exchange constraints were limiting the scale of the operation.
In a separate update on Monday, he said the buses committed to the initiative had arrived in South Africa and had begun transporting Malawian nationals back home.
Meanwhile, South African authorities continue to process and repatriate Malawian nationals through facilities including the Durban Drive-In and Sherwood processing centres in KwaZulu-Natal.
KwaZulu-Natal Home Affairs manager Cyril Mncwabe said officials had already dispatched 11 buses from the processing sites, with nine having departed. He noted that authorities were continuing to manage a steady influx of arrivals at the facilities.
At the same time, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Mmamoloko Kubayi, who chairs the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration, dismissed claims that government-processed Malawian nationals were being transported from Durban to Johannesburg instead of being repatriated.
Following a visit to the Sherwood processing site, Kubayi said all buses operating under government supervision were escorted by law enforcement until they crossed the border and that none had been diverted inland.
She confirmed that KwaZulu-Natal authorities were investigating separate allegations that individuals or organisations were transporting foreign nationals to various locations in Johannesburg and abandoning them there, describing such actions as unlawful and inhumane.
Kubayi also highlighted broader challenges facing the repatriation process after an inspection of the Lindela Repatriation Centre. She said delays by some foreign embassies in verifying the identities of their nationals were slowing deportation efforts and contributing to overcrowding at the facility.
Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia reiterated that immigration enforcement remains the responsibility of the state and warned against individuals taking the law into their own hands. He confirmed that arrests had already been made in connection with unlawful activities linked to immigration-related protests.
Citizen-led organisations, including March and March, have continued to monitor the repatriation process. The movement’s Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma said concerns remained over potential loopholes that could create opportunities for corruption or the misuse of public funds.
Political analyst Professor Bheki Mngomezulu of Nelson Mandela University said the scale of the current repatriation challenge meant government should be willing to accept legitimate assistance where available, including support from private individuals and organisations.
Ngobese-Zuma similarly cautioned that the crisis could become vulnerable to mismanagement if proper oversight mechanisms were not maintained.
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