A South African woman’s attempt to leave her country by posing as a Malawian ended at a Musina repatriation centre after officials uncovered her true identity during a verification process.
According to ENCA, the woman arrived at the Musina reception centre with her boyfriend, who is a Malawian national, hoping to be included on the list of people being repatriated to Malawi.
The pair reportedly began the registration process, but officials became suspicious while conducting routine interviews and identity checks.
Authorities later established that the woman was not Malawian but a South African citizen, making her ineligible for the repatriation programme.
Following the incident, South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs urged people to follow legal immigration procedures instead of attempting to board buses transporting Malawians fleeing xenophobic violence.
Officials said strict verification measures remain in place to prevent abuse of the repatriation exercise.
