The Department of Home Affairs has confirmed that hundreds of Nigerian nationals found to be living in South Africa illegally have either been repatriated or are scheduled to leave the country within days as part of an ongoing immigration enforcement operation. 

Home Affairs Minister, Leon Schreiber, confirmed that 268 Nigerians departed South Africa on Thursday morning, while a further 586 have been processed for repatriation and are expected to leave on a second flight scheduled for Monday, 15 June. 

According to the department, all those affected were residing in the country illegally and were issued Emergency Travel Documents by the Nigerian High Commission to facilitate their return to Nigeria. They will also be facing other consequences.  

“In accordance with the Immigration Act, all affected individuals have been declared undesirable persons and are consequently prohibited from reentering South Africa for a period of five years,” read the department’s statement.  

The group forms part of nearly 1,000 Nigerians who registered for voluntary repatriation.  

The Department of Home Affairs thanked the Nigerian High Commission for its cooperation during the documentation and repatriation process. 

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission and a Federal Government delegation welcomed the first group as they arrived in their home country on Thursday. 

NIDCOM Joins FGN Delegation to Welcome First Batch of 262 Nigerians Evacuated from South Africa
Fully Funded by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Abuja, 11th June 2026

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) joined a high-powered Federal Government delegation to welcome the… pic.twitter.com/EkIpT2xOy6

— Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (@nidcom_gov) June 11, 2026

“We want our citizens who wish to return home to have that opportunity.”
— Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu

Nigeria says arrangements are underway to assist citizens who want to leave South Africa, with the government coordinating documentation and evacuation… pic.twitter.com/3IgV6pVB3U

— Business Insider Africa (@BusInsiderSSA) June 11, 2026

Schreiber said the Home Affairs Department remains committed to enforcing immigration laws, noting that it would continue efforts to modernise South Africa’s immigration and identity systems to further improve the department’s enforcement capabilities. 

“Our reform agenda as recently affirmed by President Cyril Ramaphosa, including the ongoing scale-up of the Electronic Travel Authorisation to record biometrics for every foreigner entering our country, the replacement of the fraud-prone Green ID Book with Smart ID cards through our digital partnership with the banks, and the introduction of a cutting-edge Digital Identity system, are systematically enhancing our capacity to enforce immigration laws. In this context of ongoing progress, the public is again urged to never engage in violence or take the law into their own hands.” 

The department reminded all foreign nationals living in South Africa to ensure they hold valid visas or other authorisations for them to remain in the country legally. 

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The Western Cape SAPS has confirmed that an inquest docket has been opened for investigation into the death of Parklands College’s head boy, Connor Niske.

News of Connor’s sudden death sent shockwaves through the school community on Monday.

READ MORE: Parklands College Mourns the Loss of Head Boy as Tributes Pour In – Smile 90.4FM

The Table View police have since confirmed that they were alerted to the incident at around 00:51 on 7 June, with officers having visited a medical facility to attend to the complaint.

SAPS spokesperson Thembakazi Mpendukana said that officers found the body of a 17-year-old who had sustained a bullet wound, noting that he had died on arrival at the hospital.

“A 17-year-old male victim who had passed on upon his arrival at the nearby hospital due to the bullet wound sustained on his head,” said Mpendukana.

Connor has been remembered as an “exceptional young man”.

Connor’s influence across schooling communities has been highlighted, with Edgemead High School and St John’s Christian Brothers’ College among the schools also paying tribute.

Parklands College is hosting a tribute assembly in Niske’s honour on Friday afternoon, which the school said would be livestreamed. The school has urged members of the public, who would like to join in honouring Connor’s life, to watch the livestream.

“Connor’s kindness, humility, leadership, and service touched the lives of so many. As we come together to reflect on his life and the impact he had on our community, we continue to hold his family, friends, classmates, and all who knew him in our thoughts and prayers. Thank you for your support, compassion, and understanding during this difficult time,” said the Parklands College & Christopher Robin Pre-Primary in a statement on social media.

The Western Cape Government says it is facing a multi-billion-rand recovery bill following the devastating weather systems that battered the province in May, with preliminary estimates placing the cost of the damage at more than R9 billion.

The extent of the destruction was discussed during a Special Western Cape Government Cabinet meeting chaired by Premier Alan Winde on Thursday. The meeting focused on assessing the impact of the consecutive severe weather events that claimed lives, damaged infrastructure and disrupted communities across the province.

Cabinet noted that the estimated cost of damage currently stands at over R9 billion, although the figures remain preliminary and subject to verification. The agriculture sector suffered the heaviest losses of more than R5.2 billion, while damage to transport infrastructure has been estimated at just under R2 billion.

Winde said the scale of the destruction far exceeds the province’s available resources and will require financial assistance from national government.

“Our province has had to endure many disasters. But the last two weather events were the worst in recent memory. While our government and other stakeholders have been working incredibly hard in responding to this disaster, we have a lot of hard work still ahead of us. The scale of the damage exceeds provincial departments’ budgets and delivery capacity. Additional funding will have to be sought from national government,” the Premier said.

The storms affected more than 231,000 people, damaged nearly 23,000 homes and impacted more than 230 roads across the province. Eleven fatalities were reported, while one person remains missing.

While electricity restoration efforts continue, some communities in the worst-affected areas are still without power. Eskom has restored supply to approximately 95% of affected areas.

Winde acknowledged that difficult budget decisions lie ahead as the province seeks to fund recovery and rebuilding efforts.

“Incredibly difficult decisions will have to be made going forward. National government will not be able to provide us with all the necessary funding. The Western Cape Government’s budget will have to be reprioritised to fund damage repairs,” Winde said.

The Premier added that rebuilding efforts must focus on strengthening infrastructure against future climate-related disasters, even though this would come at a higher cost.

“What is vitally important is that we must build back stronger, in anticipation of future climate-related disasters and this will cost more. We must, therefore, impress upon national government and other entities the need to budget differently to adequately respond to the impact of such disasters,” Winde said.

The Western Cape Government is now preparing submissions to national authorities, including the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and the National Disaster Management Centre, as it seeks additional funding to support recovery efforts.