South Africa Deploys Thousands of Police as Anti-Illegal Immigration Protests Turn Violent

Nationwide marches over illegal immigration expose deep frustration over jobs, crime, public order, and the government’s failure to enforce the rule of law.

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – Thousands of police officers were deployed across South Africa this week after large-scale protests against illegal immigration erupted into violence, looting, and clashes with authorities across multiple cities.

The unrest followed an unofficial June 30 deadline set by anti-migration activists demanding that undocumented foreign nationals leave the country. The deadline was not recognized by the South African government, which warned citizens not to take immigration enforcement into their own hands.

Reuters reported that more than 900 people were arrested during the protests, which spread across several provinces. While many of the marches were peaceful, police said some demonstrations turned destructive, with looting, public violence, robberies, immigration-related offenses, and attacks on foreign-owned businesses reported.

The marches drew thousands of mostly poor and unemployed South Africans who say illegal migrants have deepened the country’s economic distress by competing for scarce jobs, accepting lower wages, placing pressure on public services, and contributing to crime. Critics, however, warn that the anger is increasingly spilling into xenophobic violence against foreign nationals—legal and illegal alike.

At least one person was fatally shot in Johannesburg’s Alexandra township during looting connected to the unrest, while Reuters also reported the death of a foreign national in Durban who allegedly jumped from a building amid fear over the protests.

The demonstrations marked the largest migration-related protests in South Africa since the deadly anti-migrant violence of 2008. In the days leading up to the deadline, thousands of foreign nationals from other African countries reportedly fled, while shops closed and foreign workers stayed home amid fears of further attacks.

In Soweto, national broadcaster SABC reported that protesters looted shacks belonging to foreign nationals. In Thembisa, northeast of Johannesburg, rioters reportedly threw stones at police and suspected migrants, while witnesses described sporadic gunfire. Police also deployed tactical vehicles in several hotspots as the violence escalated.

South African authorities placed the military on standby as police reinforcements were sent into vulnerable communities. Lt. Gen. Tebello Mosikili warned would-be rioters not to challenge the state’s authority, saying, “To those who intend to break the law tomorrow, our message is simple: do not test the resolve of the State.”

The “March and March” movement, one of the prominent groups behind the anti-migration push, has distanced itself from spontaneous violence during demonstrations. Its leader, Jacinta Ngobese, told Reuters that organizers could not control every community where anger was erupting.

“Unfortunately, we can’t be in every single community telling them … how to behave,” Ngobese said in an earlier Reuters interview.

Ngobese has said the movement plans to continue weekly marches until its demands are met. According to ZimLive, she called for South Africa’s national resources to be used over the next six months to remove illegal immigrants “from building to building.”

The government has rejected the activist-imposed deadline, stressing that only lawful authorities can enforce immigration policy. President Cyril Ramaphosa and other officials have urged protesters to remain peaceful and warned that violence against migrants or their property would be prosecuted.

South Africa remains Africa’s largest economy and continues to attract migrants from across the continent despite deep poverty, weak services, and one of the world’s highest unemployment rates. According to StatsSA, the immigrant population is roughly 3 million people, about 4% of the country’s total population.

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