CAPE TOWN, Tuesday 25 August 2026 — Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs has raised concerns about the financial and audit implications of government spending on the recent large-scale repatriation of foreign nationals after departmental expenditure reached almost R400 million.
Home Affairs Chief Financial Officer Gordon Hollomby told Parliament that expenditure by the department’s inspectorate had reached close to R400 million by 19 August, leaving it approximately R220 million over budget.
More than half of the expenditure was not originally budgeted for, prompting concern from MPs about how the additional spending will affect the department’s audit and other planned programmes.
Road transport accounted for approximately R232 million of the cost, while government spent almost R9 million on charter flights used to return people to Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria and Burundi, according to figures presented to the committee.
Hollomby told MPs that he had authorised expenditure to allow municipalities and service providers involved in the operation to be paid.
Government had previously received R60 million from the Criminal Assets Recovery Account to support the operation. A submission has now been made to Cabinet seeking additional funding.
The Border Management Authority has recorded almost 90,000 repatriations through South Africa’s ports of entry during the recent operation.
Earlier figures presented to Parliament showed that 89,936 people had been repatriated through ports of entry by 7 August, including more than 54,000 Malawian nationals and about 27,000 Zimbabwean nationals.
The operation expanded rapidly following heightened anti-immigration mobilisation and an increase in the number of foreign nationals seeking to leave South Africa.
Home Affairs established temporary processing arrangements in Musina after existing facilities came under pressure.
The department has approached several governments, including Malawi, Nigeria and Ethiopia, seeking reimbursement for costs incurred in returning their nationals.
ANC MP Moleboheng Mpya questioned why South African taxpayers should ultimately carry those costs and asked what steps were being taken to secure reimbursement.
Hollomby said diplomatic channels were being used to pursue repayment.
The Portfolio Committee had previously warned that the unusually high cost of the operation could affect Home Affairs’ existing programmes if money was not recovered.
Earlier this month, committee chairperson Mosa Chabane said the department should provide a detailed breakdown showing where resources had been redirected and what effect the expenditure would have on its planned work.
The financial scrutiny comes as government implements a broader migration-management programme involving Home Affairs, the Border Management Authority and law-enforcement agencies.
Parliament’s immediate focus will be on whether Cabinet provides additional funding, whether foreign governments reimburse any of the repatriation costs and how the unplanned expenditure is ultimately treated in Home Affairs’ financial statements.
