Ásia, Deutsche Welle, Inglês – South Africa on edge ahead of anti-migrant protests

DW speaks with those people caught up in the anti-migrant rhetoric had been building across South Africa.

Protesters in South Africa are demanding undocumented foreigners leave by Tuesday, amid fears that planned anti-immigrant rallies could turn violent.

Citizen-led groups have backed the unofficial deadline after weeks of unrest, including attacks on migrant-owned businesses.

South Africa, one of Africa’s largest economies and a nation of some 65.5 million people, has long attracted migrants seeking work. Estimates put foreign-born residentsat between 2.4 to 3.1 million .

But unemployment in South Africa remains among the highest in the world, with about a third of people out of work and deep inequality fueling public anger.

Some activists blame migrants for crime and pressure on public services, though rights groups warn such claims risk inflaming tensions.

A Human Sciences Research Council poll conducted last year showed South Africans were more hostile towards immigrants than ever, with only one in six adults saying they would welcome ​all foreigners and 42% saying they would welcome none, up from a third in 2021.

Today marks a unilaterally imposed deadline by anti-immigration groups for all undocumented immigrants to leave South Africa.

Marches are planned in major cities across the country, with the main demonstration set to take place in Durban, in KwaZulu-Natal province.

March and March, the main organization behind the protests, said it is not calling for violence.

But tensions are high. Three people, including one Malawian and two Mozambican nationals, were killed in the lead-up to today’s “deadline” during recent anti-immigration protests.

There have also been reports of migrant parents and children being intimidated at schools by self-styled vigilantes. Some migrants have even been blocked from accessing hospitals.

The South African government has condemned the violent incidents and distanced itself from the deadline imposed by anti-immigration groups, However, it has also faced criticism from other African states and civil society groups for failing to stop the violence.

Several countries, including Nigeria, Ghana and Malawi, have helped repatriate citizens who say they no longer feel safe in South Africa.

DW will cover today’s developments with a team that includes correspondents in South Africa and Zimbabwe and elsewhere on the continent.