South Africa deploys police as anti-immigrant protests escalate

SOUTH AFRICAN authorities deployed police across several cities on Tuesday as anti-immigrant protests intensified, prompting fears of violence and forcing businesses to shut their doors in some areas, Al Jazeera reported.

The demonstrations followed calls by anti-immigrant groups demanding that undocumented foreign nationals leave the country by Tuesday. The groups have also falsely claimed that undocumented migrants would face arrest and deportation if they remained beyond the self-imposed deadline.

Although the South African government has dismissed the claims as false, the threats have triggered panic among foreign nationals, with thousands reportedly fleeing their homes or seeking refuge.

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President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday warned against intimidation and vigilantism, saying the constitutional right to protest does not extend to threatening others or engaging in violence and vandalism.

Reporting from Johannesburg, Al Jazeera correspondent Haru Mutasa said the protesters included working-class and middle-class South Africans from different ethnic backgrounds, united by demands for the government to take stronger action against undocumented migrants.

According to her, many demonstrators expressed frustration over unemployment, questioning why they remained jobless despite holding university degrees while accusing the government of failing to fulfil its promises on immigration enforcement.

Mutasa said protesters marched through Yeoville and Hillbrow, suburbs with large populations of African migrants living alongside South Africans.

While protest organisers had pledged peaceful demonstrations, some participants reportedly broke away from the main marches, smashing windows and causing disturbances. Police struggled to contain the unrest as isolated incidents of violence emerged.

One group was reported to be heading towards a major highway to stage a protest, while another set fire to an area around a dumpster used by homeless people in Yeoville. Police, supported by soldiers, later dispersed the crowds.

The demonstrations began as small anti-immigrant gatherings in April but have expanded significantly in recent weeks amid rising anti-foreigner sentiment.

According to AFP, the violence has claimed the lives of at least two Mozambicans, an Ethiopian and a Malawian during recent xenophobic attacks. Two Nigerians have also died in the violence.

Although organisers say their campaign targets undocumented migrants, foreign nationals legally residing in South Africa have also been affected. Thousands have sought protection at consulates and shelters, while others say they have been evicted from their homes or lost their jobs as landlords and employers fear reprisals.

Many migrants have already left South Africa, either voluntarily or with assistance from their embassies. Several African governments have dispatched buses and aircraft to evacuate their citizens.

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The protests are unfolding ahead of South Africa’s November elections, with some politicians adopting increasingly anti-immigrant rhetoric, even as other political parties continue to call for peaceful demonstrations.

South Africa has experienced repeated outbreaks of xenophobic violence over the years. Riots in 2008 left 62 people dead, while further attacks occurred in 2015 and 2016. In 2019, at least 12 people were killed when armed mobs targeted foreign-owned businesses around Johannesburg.