Staff Reporter
eThekwini Municipality said on Friday that the temporary use of the old Durban Drive-In site — near Suncoast Casino and the famed Golden Mile — to process undocumented foreign nationals would not affect plans to develop the beachfront property.
“eThekwini Municipality wishes to reassure investor partners that the temporary use of the Drive-In Site as a staging and processing facility for undocumented foreign nationals will not compromise the site’s long-term development,” the municipality said in a statement.
The statement comes as various government departments are trying to process thousands of foreign nationals in Durban, many of them Malawians, who have been camping in the Sherwood area, about six kilometres from the city centre.
The Malawians were chased from informal settlements in and around the Durban area by anti-illegal immigrant “activists”, adding to the tension being experienced in the province and the country as a June 30 “deadline” nears, set by anti-illegal immigrant groups, for all undocumented foreigners to leave the country or be forcibly removed by locals.
“Current operations form part of a short-term, coordinated national government intervention and are expected to conclude by 30 June 2026, enabling the City to continue advancing transformative investment opportunities on the site, including the proposed amusement park development,” it said.
“The facility is not intended to serve as a permanent accommodation centre and is being utilised primarily as a processing and transit hub supporting operations led by the Department of Home Affairs, the South African Police Service, the Department of Justice, and other relevant government stakeholders,” it said.
The municipality said the intervention involved both repatriation and deportation, which were separate processes.
“Repatriation occurs when an individual’s country of origin facilitates and funds their return,” it said.
“To date, 1 396 individuals have been successfully repatriated through this process.
“Deportation, by contrast, is a legal process undertaken by the Republic of South Africa,” it said.
“In terms of the law, affected individuals must first appear before a court, which must confirm and declare their deportation.”
To speed up the process, the government has established two virtual courts at the Sherwood facility and five dedicated physical courts in the Durban CBD.
As at 18 June, the city said, 1 396 people had been repatriated, 62 were deported, and four buses were scheduled to leave as part of the ongoing deportation programme.
“These measures are significantly reducing the number of individuals requiring processing and temporary accommodation.”
The municipality said it was also assessing contingency arrangements to protect the site’s long-term development prospects and economic value.
It said the Drive-In site remained a priority economic development asset and that it was still committed to the proposed amusement park investment.
“The development is expected to stimulate economic growth, create employment opportunities, strengthen Durban’s tourism offering, and deliver lasting benefits to the region.”
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