For more than two decades, Bishop Raphael Bahebwa has called South Africa home. Now, the 51-year-old refugee leader finds himself sleeping outside the Che Guevara Road Home Affairs Refugee Reception Centre in Durban, where more than 120 refugees and asylum seekers continue to wait in uncertainty after allegedly losing their homes, belongings and livelihoods amid ongoing tensions.
Bahebwa, originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has been in the country for over 20 years. He told IOL that the group has been camped outside the centre for nearly four weeks. "We've lived in South Africa for so long. I've never had a problem, and even during the xenophobic violence in 2008 and 2015, we sometimes lived peacefully alongside local communities," he said.
According to Bahebwa, municipal officials visited the group two weeks ago and gave them two options: reintegrate into surrounding communities or vacate the site. He claimed that those unwilling to leave would allegedly be taken to the Lindela Repatriation Centre in Gauteng — a detention facility used to hold undocumented foreign nationals pending deportation. The facility has been criticised by human rights organisations over alleged poor conditions and the treatment of detainees.
Bahebwa alleged that the situation deteriorated after some refugees attempted to return to their communities. "When they told us to leave, 17 of our people were stabbed, their belongings were taken away, and their jobs were destroyed, including those who worked in salons," he said.
He further alleged that after authorities verified the group's documentation, many expected to be provided with temporary accommodation rather than being left on the street. "After verification, they found that we are documented. We simply expect that they will provide us with temporary shelter, especially because many people are worried about June 30 this month," he said. That date has gained prominence through campaigns by anti-illegal immigration groups calling for undocumented foreign nationals to leave South Africa.
"Those who lost everything are the ones remaining here. They have nowhere to go, and as leaders we are confused. We need support from the government and from any NGO that can help accommodate these people until they go through their hearing process with the UN."
Bahebwa counted between 121 and 130 people remaining outside the reception centre on the morning he spoke. He said many others had left after leaders encouraged them to return to their communities because peace had allegedly been restored. But those still there are people who allegedly lost everything and have nowhere else to turn.
The World Health Organization Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, condemned what he described as a disturbing escalation of xenophobic violence in South Africa. "It's profoundly heartbreaking to witness another surge of xenophobic violence in South Africa this week. Hundreds have marched on Parliament, thousands of families have been displaced, and lives have been tragically cut short," he said.
Tedros warned of rising casualties and displacement across affected communities. "These include at least five Ethiopians killed earlier in the attacks, and five Mozambicans who died in Mossel Bay. Thousands more are now fleeing for their lives." He said such violence represented a betrayal of shared continental history and called for accountability under the rule of law: "South Africa deserves better. Africa deserves better. Stop the hate. Protect the vulnerable. Uphold our shared humanity."
Bahebwa appealed to government departments and humanitarian organisations to intervene, saying temporary shelter and social assistance would help vulnerable families rebuild their lives while their cases are being processed. Despite the challenges, he expressed gratitude to Palestine Solidarity and Presbyterian churches for continuing to provide food and support during what he described as an extremely difficult period.