PRETORIA-(MaraviPost)-South Africa has formally asked Malawi, Nigeria and Ethiopia to reimburse part of the R292 million (about MK29 billion) spent on repatriating undocumented migrants this year.
The request follows South African Home Affairs official reports revealing that Malawians form the largest group among nearly 90 000 foreign nationals processed for deportation since January.
According to Eyewitness News, while briefing South Africa’s Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs, director-general Tommy Makhode said the department had only budgeted R60 million for deportations, but spending has soared nearly fivefold.
He told lawmakers that repatriations fall outside South Africa’s legislative budget frameworks, forcing authorities to cover costs through unbudgeted allocations.
“As the Department of Home Affairs and other departments that have been involved in this matter, we have not budgeted for this… So to date, this is what we’ve spent: R292 million,” said Makhode.
He explained that transport accounts for the bulk of the expenditure. Consequently, Pretoria has formally written to Lilongwe, Abuja, and Addis Ababa through the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) seeking cost recovery.
According to Home Affairs figures, about 83 000 migrants were processed through the Lindela Repatriation Centre in Johannesburg. Meanwhile, operations at a temporary facility in Musina, set up for R48 million, are being scaled down.
Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation were yet to comment on whether they had received the demand or how they intend to respond.
In July, MPs questioned government spending, noting that chartering transport and processing returnees was costing taxpayers over MK1.3 million per person.
Source: Nationoline
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