KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli has expressed concern that the Malawian government is not providing enough buses to facilitate the repatriation of its citizens from South Africa.
Thousands of displaced Malawian nationals are currently being processed in Durban for their return home, following recent tensions and incidents of violence linked to anti-illegal immigration protests.
The Malawian government has appealed for urgent donations to assist in the repatriation of at least 10 000 of its citizens. However, Ntuli says the pace of the operation is being hampered by a shortage of transport.
"We are worried with the number of buses that are provided by the Malawi government that they are not enough," Ntuli said.
"They understand that the numbers are big here, but they leave it to us to have the stress of addressing this problem instead of providing the number of the buses that will solve the problem within a wink of an eye."
The premier's comments come amid growing national debate over immigration and the treatment of foreign nationals, following a series of anti-illegal immigration protests in several parts of the country.
Meanwhile, the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) has proposed a three-pronged national framework to address migration in South Africa.
The organisation says while it does not support unlawful migration, it also rejects vigilante action and insists that no individual or group should act outside the law.
The MJC has also called on African countries to reflect on the socio-economic factors driving migration across the continent.
MJC representative Faizal Sayed said the ongoing migration challenge requires government to improve immigration systems, strengthen border management and tackle corruption.
"The issue of legality requires and asks the state to tighten up its migration systems, to strengthen its border management and eradicate corruption, so that these immigration processes, policies and systems can be tightened up," Sayed said.
He added that South Africans should uphold the values enshrined in the country's Constitution.
"The second one is, as South Africans we must know that we must embrace dignity, equality and everybody within our border is subject to that in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights in particular," he said.
As authorities continue efforts to repatriate displaced Malawian nationals, calls are growing for a balanced approach that addresses illegal immigration while protecting human rights and maintaining social cohesion.