Anti-migrant protesters marched across several South African cities on Tuesday, marking a deadline they had set for undocumented foreign nationals to leave the country, after weeks of unrest forced thousands of African migrants from their homes.
The demonstrations, organised by the March and March movement, were mostly peaceful in some areas but were accompanied by sporadic violence, looting and clashes with police in others. Protesters draped in South African flags and some carrying wooden weapons marched in cities including Durban and Johannesburg.
At least four people have been killed in recent anti-migrant attacks, while thousands of foreign nationals have been displaced and businesses owned by migrants vandalised or looted. Many migrants stayed indoors on Tuesday, while shops in several areas remained closed amid fears of further attacks.
Jacinta Ngobese, leader of March and March, said the group would continue holding weekly protests until its demands were met.
“For the next six months, we are asking for our national resources to be used to take the illegal immigrants out of this country. From building to building — they must go,” Ngobese told Reuters in Durban.
Protesters accuse undocumented migrants of taking jobs, committing crimes and placing pressure on public services. Social scientists have repeatedly said such claims are not supported by evidence, while rights groups warn that the rhetoric has fuelled xenophobic violence.
In Thembisa, north of Johannesburg, rioters threw stones at police and suspected migrants, while sporadic gunfire was heard near the central business district. The Daily Maverick reported that police deployed tactical vehicles and fired shots in Benoni, east of Johannesburg, after being threatened by hundreds of protesters.
In Soweto, protesters looted shacks belonging to foreign nationals, according to the national broadcaster SABC. The broadcaster also reported that police fired rubber bullets to disperse marches in Pietermaritzburg, near Durban.
Police said some looters had been arrested but did not immediately provide further details. Thousands of police officers were deployed across the country, while the military was placed on standby.
Foreign nationals had interpreted Tuesday’s deadline as a threat of physical violence. In Durban, about 100 Congolese migrants were sleeping on the streets after being chased from their homes, according to Reuters. Witnesses also said landlords in Durban and Johannesburg had illegally evicted foreign tenants ahead of the marches, fearing their buildings would be targeted.
Anti-migrant attacks have occurred periodically in South Africa since 2008, often targeting African foreign nationals regardless of whether they entered the country legally or not.
The latest wave of unrest has drawn international condemnation and placed renewed scrutiny on South Africa’s ability to protect migrants and uphold its post-apartheid human rights commitments.
Deputy National Commissioner for Policing Tebello Mosikili said 103 criminal cases had been opened against anti-foreigner vigilantes since March.
President Cyril Ramaphosa condemned the violence while acknowledging public frustration over immigration.
“South Africans’ deep concerns about illegal immigration are real and they deserve to be heard,” Ramaphosa said in a statement on Monday. “But the right to protest does not allow people to threaten or intimidate others, or to engage in acts of vandalism or violence.”
Some politicians have been accused of exploiting anti-migrant sentiment ahead of local elections due by November.
South Africa remains deeply unequal three decades after the end of apartheid, with unemployment affecting around a third of the population. Despite this, it remains Africa’s largest economy and continues to attract migrants from across the continent.
According to Statistics South Africa, the country has about 3 million immigrants, roughly 4 percent of the population — a comparatively low share by global standards.