South Africa Seeks Reimbursement for R292 Million Repatriation Costs

The Department of Home Affairs is seeking reimbursement from the governments of Malawi, Nigeria, and Ethiopia for the costs of repatriating undocumented foreign nationals. The operation cost approximately R292 million, exceeding the initial R60 million budget by nearly five times. The Department of International Relations and Cooperation formally issued the requests to Lilongwe, Abuja, and Addis Ababa to recover funds that fell outside legislative budget frameworks.

Director-General Tommy Makhode informed Parliament that the bulk of the expenditure, R203.5 million, was spent on bus transportation. An additional R48 million was spent by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure to establish a temporary processing facility in Musina to handle the volume of deportees. By August 7, the Border Management Authority reported that 89,936 people had been repatriated, with Malawians constituting the largest group, followed by Zimbabweans and Mozambicans.

The surge in repatriations followed anti-illegal immigrant protests led by organizations such as Operation Dudula. In response, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the establishment of dedicated immigration courts to accelerate processing. While approximately 83,000 migrants were processed through the Lindela Repatriation Centre in Johannesburg, officials warned that porous land borders remain a significant challenge as undocumented individuals continue to attempt illegal re-entry.