Home Affairs Overspends R292m on Deportations

By Echos News ZA Editorial Team
Published: Aug 12, 2026

South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs has spent nearly R292 million on deportations this year, far exceeding its R60 million budget allocation. Parliament has raised concerns about the financial strain, with officials confirming that almost 90,000 undocumented foreign nationals were repatriated, mainly from Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique.

Home Affairs Overspending on Deportations

The Department of Home Affairs reported that deportation and repatriation costs reached R292.77 million, compared to the R60 million allocation originally set aside. The overspending was revealed during a briefing to Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs.

• Transport costs: R203.5 million spent on buses to move foreign nationals.
• Temporary facility in Musina: R48 million used to establish and operate a repatriation centre.
• Overtime costs: R4 million for officials managing the process.

Scale of Deportations

The Border Management Authority confirmed that nearly 90,000 people were deported or repatriated this year, more than double the 44,607 deportations recorded in the previous financial year.

• Malawi: Over 54,000 nationals repatriated.
• Zimbabwe: Around 27,000 nationals deported via Beitbridge.
• Mozambique: Third-largest group of deportees.

Funding and Reimbursement Efforts

Home Affairs Director-General Tommy Makhode told Parliament that the department had not budgeted for such a large-scale operation. The initial R60 million allocation came from the Criminal Assets Recovery Account, but this was insufficient.

The department has submitted a memorandum to Cabinet seeking additional funding. Requests for reimbursement have been sent to the governments of Malawi, Nigeria, and Ethiopia.

Parliamentary Concerns

Committee chairperson Mosa Chabane stressed that South Africa should not bear the financial burden alone. He urged stronger cooperation with foreign governments to share costs and highlighted the underfunding of the Border Management Authority, which struggles to meet basic operational needs.

Related Coverage on Home Affairs.

SA to Bill Embassies for Deportation Costs

South Africa’s government will begin invoicing African embassies for the costs of deporting undocumented nationals, a move officials say is aimed at recovering millions spent on repatriations and tightening accountability across the continent.

(Read more...)

Source: Briefly via MSN | By: Tebogo Mokwena

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