South Africa anti-illegal immigration protests spark migrant fears

Thousands protested across parts of South Africa against illegal immigration on Tuesday. The demonstrations heightened migrant fears and security concerns as the government insisted only authorities can act.

In Short

• Police deployed heavily in Johannesburg and Durban amid fears of violence
• Government rejected protest deadlines, saying only authorities can enforce immigration laws
• Foreign-owned shops shut in several areas as demonstrators began assembling

Thousands of demonstrators gathered in parts of South Africa on Tuesday to protest against illegal immigration, after some groups set the day as a deadline for undocumented migrants to leave the country. The protests came amid fears of violence, with police deployed in major cities and foreign-owned shops shutting in some areas.

The South African government did not recognise the deadline and has maintained that only authorities can enforce immigration laws. President Cyril Ramaphosa met leaders of some of the groups on Monday night and asked them to ensure that the demonstrations remained peaceful.

Groups planning the protests have accused illegal immigrants of contributing to unemployment by accepting low wages, as well as to crime and other social problems. Among the most prominent groups opposing illegal immigration are March and March, Operation Dudula and Progressive Forces.

Police deployed hundreds of officers in cities including Johannesburg in Gauteng province and Durban in KwaZulu-Natal province over concerns about possible violence. Officers and private security firms were also deployed in Eastern Cape province, where earlier demonstrations against illegal immigration had turned violent, with some public infrastructure damaged and shops owned by foreign nationals forced to close. Previous marches against illegal immigration have also led to attacks on migrants and vandalism of foreign-owned businesses.

The planned protests triggered fear among thousands of migrants, mainly from neighbouring Zimbabwe and Malawi. Many gathered at their embassies and consulates to seek transport back to their countries. Traffic has increased in recent days at the Beitbridge checkpoint on the Zimbabwe border as buses carrying migrants left South Africa. Thousands of Malawian nationals have also returned home from a temporary repatriation centre in Durban.

Demonstrators were seen gathering early on Tuesday in parts of Durban, while reports said more protesters were present in parts of North West and Free State provinces. In Johannesburg, some shops owned by foreign nationals were closed as protesters began arriving.

"Today is the last day," said Nkele Thebe, a protester in Johannesburg. "After today, we'll be dealing with our president and our nation. We don't want an outsider to come interfere." Another protester, Bongani Cindi, said groups opposing illegal immigration were being unfairly labelled as xenophobic for raising legitimate issues. "Our country has got a lot of problems. We have an influx of illegal immigrants who are committing crimes that we can't even take anymore. So we need them to leave us in peace, so we can sort out our house. We are not fighting anyone," he said.

The protests against illegal immigration drew crowds across parts of South Africa, prompted heightened security measures and deepened anxiety among migrant communities, even as the government said immigration laws could be enforced only by the authorities.

With PTI Inputs

- Ends