Durban street traders count the cost as Umbilo migrants agree to move to Lindela

A group of foreign nationals who had been living on Umbilo Road in Durban for months has agreed to be transferred to the Lindela repatriation centre, ending a standoff that local traders say cost them dearly.

The move, confirmed on Tuesday, follows weeks of negotiation between the group, the Department of Home Affairs and the South African Police Service. Home Affairs said the transfer would be carried out in line with the Immigration Act, and that no individual would be removed without due process.

For the shopkeepers, hawkers and small business owners who work along one of Durban’s busiest transport corridors, the agreement brings an end to a period of uncertainty that they say emptied their tills.

A street that lost its foot traffic

Umbilo Road is a working street. Minibus taxis queue at ranks, pedestrians move between the workshops and wholesalers, and informal traders sell everything from fruit to phone accessories from stalls along the pavement.

When the group first occupied the pavement outside a row of shops earlier this year, traders say the character of the street changed. Customers, they say, stayed away. Some cited safety concerns. Others simply found the pavement blocked.

“We lost the walk-in customers,” said one shopkeeper, who asked not to be named because he fears reprisals. “People who used to buy a cold drink or a loaf on their way to the taxi rank just stopped coming. They go to the next street now.”

His neighbour, who runs a small hair salon, said her appointments dropped by half. She has had to let one of her two stylists go.

“It is not about who those people are,” she said. “It is about the fact that for months, nobody could walk past. My clients are women who come for two hours. They do not want to sit in a place where there is tension.”

The numbers behind the loss

The informal trading sector is a lifeline for thousands of Durban families. According to the eThekwini Municipality’s informal economy policy, the city has more than 40 000 registered informal traders, with many more operating unregistered. For these traders, a single day without customers can mean no food on the table.

The South African Informal Traders Alliance (Saita) estimates that traders in the Umbilo area lost between 30% and 50% of their daily income during the standoff. The figure is an estimate, not an audited number, but it matches what traders themselves describe.

“We are not against anyone. We are against hunger,” said a fruit seller who has worked the same spot for 12 years. “When the street is tense, nobody buys. It is that simple.”

Home Affairs and SAPS respond

The Department of Home Affairs said the transfer to Lindela was voluntary and that the group would be processed according to the law. “The department is committed to the fair and lawful administration of immigration,” a spokesperson said. “No person is above the law, and no person is below it.”

The South African Police Service confirmed it had maintained a presence on Umbilo Road throughout the standoff and said no violent incidents had been reported in the final weeks. “Our members worked to keep the peace and to ensure that both residents and traders could go about their business,” a provincial spokesperson said.

The eThekwini Metro Police said it had assisted with traffic flow and by-law enforcement. No arrests were made during the transfer.

What happens now

The group will be taken to Lindela, where their immigration status will be determined. Those found to be in the country illegally will be subject to deportation proceedings. Those with valid claims to remain will be processed accordingly.

For the traders on Umbilo Road, the immediate concern is recovery. The street is quieter now, but the customers have not yet returned.

“We need them to come back,” said the salon owner. “We need people to know that Umbilo is open for business again.”

The municipality has said it will increase visible policing in the area over the coming weeks. Saita has called on the city to support informal traders with a small-business relief fund, though no such fund has been announced.

The next step is the processing at Lindela, which Home Affairs says will be completed within 30 days. For the traders, the wait for customers may take longer.