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Dozens of foreign nationals based in Gqeberha have fled their homes and moved to a temporary shelter in South End for fear of being targeted by local communities.
While many have already returned to their countries of origin, a group of about 100 people who remained said they were in limbo as to their next move as they anxiously awaited assistance to be bused back to their home countries.
The displaced people are stranded in an open area near the harbour in Gqeberha as others keep trickling in following the June 30 protests.
A Herald team spoke to a number of foreign nationals, predominantly of Zimbabwean origin, who indicated they had to leave the townships because they no longer felt safe.
Some have been communicating on social media to advise their countrymen to join them at the shelter.
They have settled at the bottom of Walmer Boulevard along Settlers Way near the Masjied Ul Aziez (Pier Street Mosque) since Friday after allegedly being asked to vacate the disaster management offices in South End.
The group is being assisted by several individuals, organisations and religious groupings such as Serve the Ummah, which organised a tent.
Gift of the Givers has been providing blankets, food and other much-needed necessities.
Officials from the countries’ respective consulates have been assisting with their paperwork.
Meanwhile, as the drama has unfolded since last week, Father Jerry Browne from St Augustine’s Cathedral in Central has assisted in raising about R750,000 to fund six buses.
And between St Augustine’s and the Sacred Heart Church in Cape Road, the Catholic Church had helped with providing shelter to 360 Malawians.
On Wednesday last week, 100 foreign nationals were forcibly removed after tensions flared in Kuyga.
Police and councillors had to step in and guide them to safety amid the chaos.
This came as the metro announced on Wednesday that 374 Zimbabweans had been received by the disaster management centre for voluntary repatriation.
According to a Zimbabwean consulate official, there were three buses that had already ferried passengers on Friday and two buses left on Sunday.
Each transported about 70 to 80 passengers.
“We have had people coming in, some of whom are really scared,” the official said.
“We had a case of a man who left Dora Nginza Hospital while sick.
“We also had a sick baby who kept on vomiting.
“It’s quite sad.”
She said Christian Martin of I Am My Brother’s Keeper and Serve the Ummah was instrumental in finding the space near the mosque.
Martin is also a civil rights activist, politician and chair of the Eastern Cape Provincial Geographical Names Committee.
“The Muslim community assisted and provided a tent,” the official said.
“Martin has helped us a lot.
“He’s been here and goes home late.”
Martin said he was assisting the families together with Wasief Lagarden, who is also a co-ordinator for I Am My Brother’s Keeper and Serve the Ummah.
“Our focus has been purely humanitarian, ensuring that vulnerable individuals, including women and children, have access to temporary shelter, food, clothing and basic necessities while working with various stakeholders to reunite families where possible,” Martin said.
He said many of those who had been displaced were accommodated at different locations across the metro.
Those who had been temporarily accommodated in churches had since gone home.
“We remain grateful to many faith-based organisations, NGOs, community organisations, private individuals and volunteers who have responded with compassion during this humanitarian crisis,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sacred Hearts co-ordinator of repatriation Eldridge Coskey said they had worked with Father Browne of St Augustine’s to repatriate about 150 Malawians last week.
Coskey said the churches had paid for 15 buses that transported them to Musina near the border.
He said they had also bought meals, toiletries and blankets for them.
Coskey thanked donors and organisations that had contributed.
Gift of the Givers founder Dr Imtiaz Sooliman said a team was deployed on Friday after receiving calls from the metro’s disaster management and the SAPS informing them that Zimbabweans had been evicted from Kariega.
He said they had also received calls from two churches in New Brighton and Central which indicated that they had taken in Malawians.
“Our teams provided them with daily nutritious meals, lunch and supper as well as clean drinking water, toiletry bags, hygiene bags and blankets,” Sooliman said.
He said their team had been on site since Wednesday.
“Our team will be assisting the last few who are living in the Kabega area.
“Currently, we are at the Musina repatriation centre so things are running smoothly.”
Sooliman thanked the faith-based organisations for their assistance.
“They have been phenomenal, as well as the churches for opening up the church halls to accommodate these vulnerable women and children.”
One of those directly impacted, Chantell Shundura, said she had lived in Gqeberha since 2021 and it was disappointing that she had to leave without having had a chance to plan.
She will be leaving for Harare.
Shundura said she lived in Joe Slovo with her two young children and had to sleep with few blankets in the tent on Sunday night.
“We don’t know if we will sleep here again today,” she said.
“It was too cold last night but we had to endure the cold.
“We don’t have a choice.
“We’re stranded.”
Another woman who left Joe Slovo, Precious VuraVai, said she had arrived at the shelter on Monday morning.
“I heard that others are here, so I decided to come here.
“I don’t have my papers and I think it’s safer here.”
Emmanuel Zindoga, from the Chibi district, said he was attacked in Greenbushes on June 30.
“They slapped me and I lost my work permit,” Zindoga said.
He also expressed his disappointment, saying he had lived in SA since 2005.
Meanwhile, Paul Kakarahwa from Harare said he had to leave Kariega on Monday morning after his landlord instructed him to do so.
“He asked that I leave and not pay for rent.
“He says it’s now unsafe.”
Municipal spokesperson Sithembiso Soyaya said the metro had worked with churches to assist them in providing the temporary accommodation.
Soyaya said the metro’s role was to provide a safe haven temporarily but embassies were ultimately responsible for their nationals.
“We did not chase anyone. We were just being humane to help them,” he said.
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