South Africans march against Illegal Immigration

Thousands of protesters took to the streets in South Africa on Tuesday to demonstrate against illegal immigration, after some groups declared June 30th as a deadline for undocumented foreigners to leave the country.

The protests, driven by groups including March and March, Operation Dudula and Progressive Forces, reflect mounting anger among some South Africans who say undocumented foreigners are not only taking jobs, driving down wages and contributing to crime, but undocumented foreigners are also being exploited by employers as cheap labour in inhumane working conditions. The groups said Tuesday would mark the end of their patience, although the deadline had no legal standing and was not recognised by the government.

President Cyril Ramaphosa met with leaders of some of the groups on Monday night and urged them to keep their demonstrations peaceful. Meanwhile, police deployed hundreds of officers in cities such as Johannesburg and Durban amid concerns that the marches could turn violent.

Authorities were on alert because previous anti-immigration protests have often led to attacks on foreign nationals and damage to foreign-owned businesses. In Johannesburg, several shops owned by foreign nationals were closed before protesters arrived, as business owners prepared for possible unrest.

In Johannesburg’s city centre, demonstrators marched with South African flags, liberation songs and traditional sticks. Men and women of different ages joined the procession, while placards carried messages calling for tougher immigration action. Some of the signs read “SA withdraw from the UN refugee convention,” “The future of our kids” and “80% of children born in Limpopo province are born to foreign nationals.”

At the start of the Johannesburg march, protester Nkele Thebe said the day marked a final warning. “Today is the last day,” she said. “After today, we’ll be dealing with our president and our nation. We don’t want an outsider to come interfere.”

Another protester, Bongani Cindi, said the movement was being unfairly accused of xenophobia. He argued that supporters of the campaign were simply raising concerns about unemployment, crime and the pressures they believe illegal immigration is placing on South African communities.

“Our country has got a lot of problems,” he said. “We have influx of illegal immigrants who are committing crimes that we can’t even take anymore. So we need them to leave us in peace, so we can sort our house. We are not fighting anyone.”

Similar protests were reported in parts of Durban, while smaller gatherings were also seen in the North West and Free State provinces. The demonstrations again highlighted the deeply divisive debate around immigration in South Africa, where economic hardship and service delivery failures have often fuelled resentment toward foreign nationals.