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South African police have elevated operational readiness across all provinces with thousands of officers deployed to potential flashpoints, a move that comes with a budget of around 600 million rand, according to Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia. Defence Minister Angie Motshekga stated that the military would secure strategic sites such as airports and assist police if needed, Reuters reported on June 26. President Cyril Ramaphosa warned that the right to protest does not extend to threats, intimidation, vandalism or violence, while noting that more than 3 million foreign nationals are documented in the country and entitled to legal protection.
Anti-migrant groups have set June 30 as an unofficial deadline for undocumented foreigners to leave, prompting protests authorised in cities including Durban and Johannesburg, the BBC reported on June 29. Police have banned traditional weapons such as shields, whips and sticks at demonstrations, where many participants are expected to be ethnic Zulus, according to authorities cited by the broadcaster. The South African Police Service said it would partner with private security firms to prevent unrest, with one major firm indicating it would provide personnel, armoured vehicles, helicopters and drones if required, the Institute for Security Studies noted on June 25.
More than 12,000 immigrants have been deported or repatriated since the latest wave of protests began earlier in 2026, according to government figures referenced in the BBC report. Countries including Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria and Zimbabwe have organised repatriation flights and buses, with around 3,500 foreigners volunteering to leave, the outlet added. Nigeria has disputed South Africa’s claim that more than 500 of its nationals were repatriated without correct papers.
Xenophobia has been a recurring issue in South Africa, with the African Centre for Migration and Society’s Xenowatch tracker recording two deaths from related violence in 2026 and more than 128,000 displacements since 1994, according to data on its website as of June 9. In 2008, more than 60 people died in a wave of anti-foreigner rioting, Human Rights Watch stated in a May 20 report on new waves of attacks. The Human Sciences Research Council survey found that 42 percent of adults expressed outright hostility toward immigrants in 2025, up from 28 percent in 2020, with 77 percent agreeing that immigrants increase crime rates.
Thousands of migrants, many from Malawi, have been living in temporary camps in Durban for weeks while awaiting processing, fearing for their safety, the BBC said. One undocumented Malawian told the outlet he was happy to return home but heartbroken at leaving his four young children. Nelson Mbewe, another Malawian, said he had gone to South Africa for employment to support his family but faced xenophobic insults and accepted that “it’s their country.” Hassan Phiri, still waiting in the camp, appealed for unity, stating, “All one. No matter what, Africa must remain Africa. Africa can’t be without South Africa…without Malawi…we must love each other and stick together as Africa.”
The protests and security measures arrive against a backdrop of high unemployment exceeding 43 percent and socioeconomic pressures that have sharpened anti-immigrant sentiment, particularly in provinces such as Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and Mpumalanga, a May 7 Human Sciences Research Council analysis found. Ramaphosa has accepted the need for immigration reform but stressed that enforcement remains the state’s responsibility alone, according to his televised address covered by Africanews on June 9. Authorities have urged participants to respect police and avoid any attempts to destabilise the country.
