Di June 30 deadline wey South Africans give for migrants wey dey tagged undocumented to comot dia kontri don near. Different security agencies including di South African Police Service dey on alert.
South Africa acting Minister of Police, Mr Firoz Cachalia dey meet wit Defence Minister, Angie Motshekga to discuss dia plans wey dem get ahead of di June 30 demonstrations.
Alreadi, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa say di kontri no go gree for illegal migration afta series of protests against foreign nationals don happun across di kontri bifor. During im live address on Sunday 7 June, 2026, Ramaphosa say di kontri dey roll out different measures to curb illegal migration into South Africa.
All of dis na sake of South African claims say illegal migrants dey take dia jobs and say some foreign nationals dey no get documents to live for South Africa. Sake of di different protests wey don take place bifor for South Africa, including harassment of foreign nationals, kontris like Ghana, Nigeria and Malawi don repatriate dia citizens comot for South Africa.
One of di groups wey dey call for protest for June 30, na March and March wey base for South Africa. Dem say dem dey fight illegal immigration. For dia statement, di group among oda tins, say make President Ramaphosa address di kontri bifor June 30 and tok about di illegal migrants wey dey dia kontri. Ramaphosa don do dat one. But di group no back down on dia June 30 deadline to foreign nationals wey dem say no get documents.
Dia plan na to occupy different streets and cities for South Africa to protest against foreign nationals wey dey undocumented. Na fight against illegal immigration, na fight against hostile takeova of our township economy, na fight against human traffic and fight against human theft. Di group say dem no want violence during di protest and make pipo no come wit weapons. Dem add say e better make illegal migrants begin dey self-deport dia sef back to dia kontri bifor di June 30 deadline.
Our fight no be about to dey chase migrants from South Africa, na war against di exploitation of our pipo. We no want violence, we want stability for our kontri. We want make illegal immigrants self-deport dia sef. During dat protest, South Africans ready to come up in large numbers to show dia grievances against wetin dem call undocumented migrants, action wey many pipo around di world dey watch to see how e go happun.
Alreadi, South Africa Department of Home Affairs say dem don block di identity documents of some citizens, and say make dem go present demsefs to officials. Dem say dem don begin investigate di validity of some identity documents wey make dem block di IDs. South Africa say if dose wey dey affected by di blocked IDs no take action, e fit lead to possible permanent cancellation. According to di notice by di Home Affairs, dem wan find out through dia investigation if di pipo wey dem block dia IDs na di true owner of di documents.
South Africa acting minister of police, Cachalia, tell local media for one event say di police dey prepare to deal wit di planned June 30 demonstration. Di South Africa minister of police meet wit oda national commissioner as part of dia preparation for di day to dey peaceful. According to local media DailyMaverick, dem quote wia di police minister say South Africans get di constitutional rights to protest, but no go allow any act of lawlessness or violence.
Di operations dey aimed at ensuring say all foreign nationals wey dey reside for South Africa dey di kontri legally and get of valid documentation. Oda di oda side, South Africa Minister of Justice Mmamoloko Nkhensani Kubayi dey monitor di evacuation of some foreign nationals. Di Justice minister dey part of di Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Migration, and dem monitor how some migrants comot for South Africa by buses. Dem also visit di of KwaZulu, King Misuzulu kaZwelithini, for di Royal House wia dem go tok how govment dey make efforts to manage migration for di kontri.
Di acting Minister of Police, Cachalia dey do meeting wit Defence Minister, Motshekga ontop dis June 30 demonstrations, but di outcome of di meeting neva dey public. Meanwhile, dem say na closed door meeting and media no go fit capture wey dey happun inside, but na until afta di meeting di minister go tok.
As di deadline looms, many fear such threats herald a repeat of di murderous anti-foreigner violence wey don erupt for di country bifor. Such is di anxiety dat dis week, as many as 10,000 foreigners, mainly Malawians, don take refuge for one park as dem dey wait to dey put for buses and deport. Di grass around di city’s Sherwood Hall don become crowded and stinking humanitarian crisis, wit thousands sleeping outside among piles of luggage. Despite di filthy conditions, more dey arrive each day.
On June 30, we no know wetin go happen, but we no dey safe here, explain Hojane Mhone. Di 35-year-old don dey work undocumented for South Africa for five years but now wan comot as soon as possible. Dem come to my door and say When you dey go? Dem take my fridge and my speaker. E tell The Telegraph. Dey plenty pipo wey dem dey chase. I don come here to dey safe. Pipo here don attack, so why we still dey wait for our buses?
Many for di park say dem fear a repeat of anti-foreigner riots wey kill 62 pipo for 2008 and flare again for 2015 and 2019. Di World Health Organization don allege say up to 10 Ethiopians and Mozambicans don already kill for di country for recent weeks. South Africa dispute dat total, saying say several of di deaths na due to organized crime, or still under investigation.
We dey scared, dat why we dey here, says Yunus Jafali, a 24-year-old undocumented builder from Malawi. E no be di first time dem don do dis. Dey 2008 and 2015. As di continent’s economic powerhouse, South Africa don long attract large numbers of migrant workers, particularly from nearby nations. Poverty or chaos for neighbouring countries like Malawi, Lesotho, Zimbabwe and Mozambique don add to di numbers arriving. But immigration don also long dey blamed by many poor South Africans for di country’s high unemployment rate, around a third currently without jobs. Many also blame immigration for crime and di country’s failing public services.
Tensions don rise for recent months wit a series of marches against illegal immigration led by a protest group called March and March. Anti illegal immigration campaigners don also set di June 30 deadline for undocumented migrants to leave. Ghana, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Nigeria don all repatriate hundreds of nationals wey decide to flee di country and don accuse Pretoria of doing too little to curb xenophobic violence.
Di tensions don reach di World Cup, wit many Africans refusing to support di South African team and celebrating when dem lose dia opening match against Mexico. You no fit mistreat Africa and still expect Africa’s full blessing on di world stage, says Ibrahim Sannie Daara, spokesman for di Confederation of African Football, afta di match. South Africa’s justice minister dis week say attacks on foreign nationals dey damage di country’s image and cause a backlash against its businesses overseas. A majority of South African artists perform on di continent, and many of dem dey see dia gigs dey cancelled, she say.
Immigration dey expected to be a key part of dis year’s municipal election campaigns, as di ruling African National Congress (ANC) dey try to halt a vote slide wey see am lose overall power for 2024. South Africa’s Human Sciences Research Council recently report polling show di public don become considerably more antagonistic towards immigrants over di last five years. Hostility dey at its highest level since polling begin for 2003 and more than three-quarters believe immigrants increase crime rates.
Cyril Ramaphosa, di president, don condemn vigilantism, but don vow a crackdown on illegal immigration, including tougher border controls, speeding up deportations and fighting corruption. By di end of di week, di makeshift camp around Sherwood Hall don begin to look like a detention centre as police set up a razor wire cordon and patrol wit shotguns. Officials say those inside get to dey processed by having dia identities checked and dey put before a court, before dem take am by bus back to Malawi.
None of dese pipo dey legal, all of dem dey undocumented and illegal for dis country, home affairs official Cyril Mncwabe say. As more pipo turn up at di site, Durban’s mayor announce di city go set up an overflow facility to ease overcrowding. March on March na founded by a former local radio presenter, Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma. We no fit get South Africa dey turned into a refugee site for all failed African states, she tell di BBC earlier dis year. Every country prioritise its citizens and we want di South African government to do di same.
Di organisation deny xenophobia, and say e no be responsible for anti-foreigner violence. Plenty pipo support March and March for my neighbourhood, say one local passing by di park. I get personal sympathy wit dese Malawians for dese conditions, but immigration na big issue. Dese na jobs wey South Africans fit do. Syrica Thomson Banda, a 36-year-old tailor, say e don dey wait to dey repatriated for 10 days along wit im wife, Hajira Mussa. E say: I dey here because di citizens of South Africa dey chase us to go home. We dey wait for our government to see our suffering. South Africans dey come here and threaten us, intimidate us. Enough don be enough. Life bigger than anything else. We don face dis not once, but twice and I dey go home.
