South Africa's streets have been gripped by an escalating crisis as thousands of foreign nationals fled their homes amidst widespread anti-immigrant protests and violence, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. The unrest, sparked by weeks of inflammatory rhetoric against immigrants, has claimed at least four lives and displaced tens of thousands of people across the country. Tensions came to a head on Tuesday, the arbitrary deadline set by campaign groups for undocumented migrants to leave, as communities braced themselves for further chaos.
In the coastal city of Durban, usually bustling with activity, streets were eerily quiet, while many shops remained shuttered in anticipation of the worst. Over 2,000 protesters, clad in traditional Zulu attire and armed with sticks, marched through the city centre, chanting "Abahambe!" – a rallying cry of the anti-foreigner movement. The demonstrations have instilled fear among immigrant communities, who worry that the protests could escalate into further violence.
As the 30 June deadline loomed, thousands have abandoned their residences, seeking refuge in makeshift camps or open fields, with some even sleeping on pavements, in the hope of repatriation to their home nations. Several African governments have scrambled to arrange transport, including buses and planes, to bring their citizens home – with over 25,000 already reported to have been repatriated. In Pietermaritzburg, a city just 50 miles from Durban, hundreds of families were camped outside an abandoned building after a 29-year-old Malawian national was killed by a mob following a protest on 19 June.
Jackson Makungwa, a 29-year-old Malawi-born man who had lived in South Africa for over a decade with a valid work permit, was among those queuing for repatriation. Despite having built a life in the country, he had struggled to renew his permit for two years and decided to leave after a friend was attacked, with assailants warning of further violence after the deadline. Makungwa was forced to abandon his two-month-old son, born to a South African mother, due to difficulties securing travel documents for the infant.
Lydia Mpingashato, a cleaner from Zimbabwe who had lived in the country for 17 years with a valid work permit, recounted being dismissed from her job and threatened in her township. She claimed that she was warned her house would be burned and her family killed. Many immigrants, including those with legitimate documentation, report being evicted by landlords fearful of retaliation. The widespread sentiment among some South Africans is that immigrants are responsible for the country’s high unemployment and crime rates. Philile Ntuli from the South African Human Rights Commission notes that "Xenophobia and Afrophobia… emerge where economic insecurity, high unemployment, inequality, weak governance and poor migration management intersect."
This current wave of anti-immigrant sentiment is not new to South Africa, which has a history of such violence. The 2008 xenophobic riots resulted in 62 deaths and displaced over 150,000 people, while the country's unemployment rate stands at an alarming 34%. According to 2022 census data, foreign nationals account for less than 3% of the population – yet they bear the brunt of this anger. As the situation spirals out of control, it remains to be seen whether South Africa's leaders will take decisive action to address the root causes of this xenophobic sentiment and protect their migrant communities.