Bishop Raphael Bahebwa, who has lived in South Africa for 26 years after fleeing the Democratic Republic of the Congo, told Al Jazeera he is in hiding because he fears an attack for speaking out for the rights of foreigners.
The anti‑immigration group March and March, which has staged protests across the country, declared a September 30 deadline for undocumented foreign nationals to leave South Africa. The group warned of further demonstrations if its demands are not met, sparking fear among migrant communities in Durban.
Bahebwa and many other refugees had been sleeping on the pavement outside the Durban Refugee Reception Centre on Che Guevara Road for months, exposed to the elements and dependent on civil society organisations for food and medicine. One man with tuberculosis died while living in the makeshift camp, and at least four people were injured when March and March members confronted refugees on September 3.
In mid‑September the government moved to clear the camp, offering refugees a choice to return to the communities they fled or to accept temporary accommodation at the Lindela facility in Gauteng, a government‑run immigration detention centre. On September 15, 274 people were transported to Lindela, while about 150 chose to remain in Durban and seek alternative housing.
Kafuti Muyumba, a small business owner from the DRC and community representative, said many refugees feared returning to neighbourhoods where they had built lives. “Even the police allow March and March violence,” he told Al Jazeera. “We don’t trust the police. They are not being fair with us.”
Police have said there are no plans to change their normal policing approach because of the September 30 deadline and that any protesters will be expected to remain within the law. March and March maintains it is targeting undocumented immigration, not foreign nationals generally, and rejects accusations of xenophobia.
The situation comes as South Africa prepares for local government elections on November 4, in which migration has become a prominent political issue. Refugees fear that the campaign will further inflame tensions and that the September 30 deadline could trigger a new wave of attacks.
What to watch: authorities are monitoring the situation closely, and the government has urged calm while the election campaign ramps up. The fate of the remaining refugees in Durban will hinge on the outcome of the upcoming elections and the government's response to the March and March movement.
