By Trevor Wright: “I hope it doesn’t rain tonight, or tomorrow.
Undocumented people , termed ‘illegals’ by some, who cannot fit into the overcrowded Sea Vista Community Centre, in the St Francis Bay suburb of Sea Vista, will spend another night in the grounds, under the stars, with their luggage tonight.
“My Malawian assistant was hiring a room in a shack for R750 pm. His wife is a young mother, their son Calvin is nearly 5 months old. He has a passport and work permit, she has no papers. They decided that she and Calvin had better return to Malawi.
“She registered with the mobile Home Affairs team on Thursday, at the Sea Vista comcentre.
“On Friday, they got word that the buses were coming, and they should report there.
“Friday was organised chaos. People and officials everywhere. Hundreds of Malawians desperate to be processed and allocated a seat on the buses are seen inside the community centre, and outside.
A cold tiled floor inside, damp muddy ground outside. Women and men sleeping under the stars in the middle of winter.
St Francis Chronicle reports that those aware of the plight of these Malawians from the community of St Francis Bay are shocked and appalled and call this “heart-breaking”. And what is also sad… Reports from Ward Clr Nozuko are that the people are not allowed to eat in the hall, the municipality said so. Gift of the Givers has kindly brought the people food and they have been eating at the councillor’s office up the street.
St Francis Chronicle 