South Africa Deploys Security as Anti-Migrant Protests Begin After June 30 Deadline
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jun 30
South Africa Deploys Security as Anti-Migrant Protests Begin After June 30 Deadline
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jun 30
Summary
Demonstrators gathered in several South African cities on Tuesday as an anti-immigration deadline set by pressure group March and March took effect, with police and other security forces deployed amid fears of violence.
Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape were put under close watch, and authorities warned that permitted marches in Durban, Johannesburg and elsewhere must remain peaceful; police also barred traditional weapons.
President Cyril Ramaphosa distanced the government from the ultimatum, saying immigration enforcement is a state function and warning that lawful foreign nationals are protected by South Africa's laws and constitution.
25,000 people have already been repatriated, police said, while the government says more than 12,000 migrants have been deported or repatriated since protests began earlier this year, including about 3,500 who left voluntarily.
Johannesburg was unusually quiet with shops shut near protest sites, while in Durban authorities moved to clear a transit camp housing mostly Malawians, underscoring how the campaign is already driving departures.