South Africa sends in law enforcement ahead of expected demonstrations against foreigners

South African authorities deployed police on Tuesday to prevent unrest and protests, as an unofficial deadline set by anti-immigrant groups for undocumented foreign nationals to leave the country had been reached, prompting thousands to flee.

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This move was in response to the ultimatum issued by these groups, which has already led to a mass exodus of foreign nationals, with hundreds seeking refuge in various cities and urgently seeking assistance to leave the country.

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Most shops remained closed, and the streets of downtown Johannesburg were eerily quiet, with police deployed across the city as commuters made their way to work, in an effort to prevent violence and looting by xenophobic groups.

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The protests were organised by a coalition of minor political parties and small citizen-led vigilante groups, which appear to be well-organised and well-resourced, with a strong presence on social media, including disinformation that has been debunked by AFP, according to analysts.

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In Durban, small groups of protesters, clad in Zulu attire and carrying sticks and shields, gathered at a park, singing and chanting "abahambe", which translates to "Let them go", as security forces maintained a watchful eye.

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Selwyn Anderson, a 64-year-old protester, expressed his concerns, stating that undocumented foreign nationals had taken over many small businesses in the country, and shared his experiences of travelling in Africa, saying "South Africa is the America of Africa".

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At least two Mozambicans, an Ethiopian, and a Malawian have been killed in anti-immigrant violence in recent weeks, and several African governments have arranged for planes or buses to repatriate their citizens, in an effort to protect them from harm.

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South Africa, one of the wealthiest countries on the continent, is a magnet for migrant labour, but is struggling with an unemployment rate above 30 per cent, high crime, and a breakdown in services in many areas, making it a complex issue.

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Labor analyst Dale McKinley stated that the anti-migrant push has been "politically weaponised" ahead of local government elections in November, and emphasized that the issue is not with the migrants, but rather with governance, corruption, and mismanagement.

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Uganda announced an "evacuation plan" over the weekend to repatriate nearly 750 of its citizens, while thousands of people, mostly Malawians and Zimbabweans, gathered in Cape Town and Johannesburg, waiting for assistance to return home.

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Some individuals, like Malawian Peter Madsoan, 45, decided to leave to avoid being attacked, saying "I am a breadwinner back at home in Malawi, it is better for me to go than to die in South Africa", as he waited for a bus to take him home.

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Zimbabwean Evelyn Chinooneka, 29, who had worked on a farm outside Cape Town for four years, was forced to leave and had been camping outside the Zimbabwean consulate in Cape Town with her 10-month-old baby, waiting for a bus to take them home.

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The leader of the anti-immigrant group, March and March, Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, stated that June 30 would mark the beginning of "a national march to freedom, a rolling mass action" until all undocumented foreign nationals were deported, while claiming that the group does not condone violence.

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The government has ordered a massive security deployment to prevent a repeat of the unrest that occurred five years ago, when around 350 people were killed in days of looting and riots, and has warned against opportunistic crime.

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President Cyril Ramaphosa announced stepped-up plans to combat illegal immigration and called on traditional leaders to use their influence to calm tensions, while the premier of KwaZulu-Natal province, Thami Ntuli, vowed not to allow the province to be plagued by xenophobia or criminality again.

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Previous incidents of violence targeting undocumented foreign nationals in South Africa have been deadly, with 62 people killed in riots in 2008, but this is the first time that governments have simultaneously organised the repatriation of thousands of their nationals.