South Africa was on edge Tuesday as mass anti-immigration protests took place across the country, following weeks of violence that has left at least four dead and tens of thousands displaced. In Durban, where clashes were feared, streets were quiet and shops shuttered as tension hung in the air.
Several thousand protesters, many in Zulu attire, marched through the city centre wielding sticks and clubs, chanting “Abahambe!” (“They must go!” in isiZulu). The protests were organised by groups that set an arbitrary 30 June deadline for undocumented immigrants to leave the country, sparking fears of further violence.
In the days leading up to the deadline, thousands have fled their homes, sleeping on pavements and in makeshift camps, hoping for repatriation. Police say more than 25,000 have been sent home so far, with several African governments arranging buses or planes. In Pietermaritzburg, where a Malawian national was killed by a mob on 19 June, hundreds of families camped outside an abandoned building.
Among those waiting to leave was Jackson Makungwa, a 29-year-old Malawian who had lived legally in South Africa for a decade but could not renew his work permit. After a friend was attacked, he decided to flee, leaving behind his two-month-old son born to a South African mother. “They said the deadline is the 30th, so they will attack me if I stay,” he said.
Many immigrants, including those with legal status, reported being evicted by landlords fearing reprisals. Lydia Mpingashato, a Zimbabwean cleaner who had lived in South Africa for 17 years, was threatened and lost her job. Her 17-year-old son, forced to leave his home, told her: “Actually, they never loved us.”
Xenophobia in South Africa is often linked to economic frustrations, with many blaming immigrants for high unemployment and crime. The government has intensified its crackdown on undocumented immigration, with over 50,000 arrests since January. President Cyril Ramaphosa met protest leaders on Monday night in an effort to calm tensions.
