VIDEO: Thousands march across South Africa as anti-immigration groups push June 30 deadline

VIDEO: Thousands march across South Africa as anti-immigration groups push June 30 deadline

Thousands of people marched in several South African cities on Tuesday as anti-immigration groups sought to enforce a self-imposed June 30 deadline for undocumented foreign nationals to leave the country, prompting heightened security and renewed debate over immigration, border control and public safety.

Videos shared on social media, including footage published by AfricaFactsZone, showed large crowds of demonstrators marching through major streets carrying South African flags and placards while calling for stricter enforcement of the country’s immigration laws.

The demonstrations, organised by anti-immigration movements including Operation Dudula and March and March, are among the largest migration-related protests witnessed in South Africa since the widespread xenophobic violence that erupted in 2008.

Protest organisers argue that undocumented migration has contributed to unemployment, crime and increased pressure on public services. However, researchers and human rights organisations have repeatedly cautioned that there is no conclusive evidence linking immigrants as a group to rising crime or unemployment, urging policymakers and the public to rely on verified data rather than generalisations.

A heavy police presence was deployed across key protest locations, including Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban and Cape Town, with public order officers, armoured vehicles and helicopters monitoring the demonstrations to prevent violence and protect lives and property.

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Acting Minister of Police Firoz Cachalia said law enforcement agencies were fully prepared to maintain order, warning that anyone involved in violence, intimidation or criminal activities during the protests would face prosecution.

Authorities also disclosed that scores of people have been arrested in recent months over incidents linked to anti-immigration demonstrations and acts of vigilantism.

Leaders of the protest groups said they planned to submit petitions to government officials demanding stronger border controls, faster deportation of undocumented migrants and stricter enforcement of existing immigration laws.

The protests followed weeks of tension that reportedly prompted thousands of foreign nationals from countries including Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique and Nigeria to either leave South Africa voluntarily or seek assistance from their diplomatic missions amid fears of violence.

Several foreign-owned businesses also reportedly closed temporarily in some communities as a precaution ahead of the demonstrations.

The latest wave of protests comes after a series of anti-immigration demonstrations in recent months, during which several people were killed in isolated incidents in KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape, further raising concerns about the potential for xenophobic violence.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has acknowledged public concerns over undocumented migration but reiterated that immigration enforcement remains the responsibility of the state.

He condemned violence, intimidation and vigilantism, urging South Africans to allow law enforcement agencies to carry out their constitutional duties without interference.

South African authorities have also clarified that the June 30 deadline was not issued by the government but by citizen-led anti-immigration groups.

Officials previously dismissed widely circulated social media messages claiming that the government had ordered all undocumented migrants to leave the country by June 30, describing the claims as false and misleading.

Earlier this month, the South African government announced additional measures to strengthen immigration management, including stricter enforcement of the Immigration Act, enhanced border security, improved digital immigration systems and closer cooperation with neighbouring African countries to address irregular migration.

The demonstrations have once again placed South Africa’s immigration policy at the centre of national debate, with analysts calling for balanced solutions that protect national security, uphold the rule of law and respect the rights and dignity of all people regardless of their nationality or immigration status.

VIDEO: Thousands march across South Africa as anti-immigration groups push June 30 deadline