Prophet Shepherd Bushiri has announced plans to deploy 10 buses to help Malawians return home from South Africa, amid growing xenophobic attacks and an upcoming crackdown on undocumented foreign nationals after June 30 .
The Enlightened Christian Gathering (ECG) Church founder shared the news on Facebook, saying: “Preparing 10 buses to go and get our people in South Africa. Let’s stand together and help our people!”
The move comes as about 10,000 Malawians have been affected by the situation as of June 13, according to Malawi’s Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) . A leader of Malawian nationals in Durban reported that 5,002 people had registered in a makeshift transit camp in Sherwood, up from around 3,000 the previous day .
The Malawi government has already launched a voluntary repatriation programme, with 645 citizens beginning their journey home on June 15 . However, DoDMA Commissioner Wilson Moleni said the increasing numbers place “significant pressure on government resources” and appealed for additional financial and logistical support .
Authorities noted that nearly 2,000 Malawians processed so far have been living in South Africa illegally, including visa overstays and undocumented status . A special virtual court is currently sitting at Sherwood to facilitate the legal process .
Bushiri, who fled South Africa in 2020 and won a landmark extradition case in Malawi in October 2025 , joins other Malawian figures in responding to the crisis, including opposition leader Atupele Muluzi who donated K5 million towards repatriation efforts .