South Africa Prepares Security for Anti-Migrant Demonstrations on June 30

South Africa is preparing for anti-migrant demonstrations scheduled for Tuesday after the civic group March and March set a June 30 deadline for undocumented migrants to leave the country. Authorities announced a 600 million rand security deployment and established joint command centers.

Acting police minister Firoz Cachalia identified KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, and the Western Cape as potential hotspots.

Police have used rubber bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades in recent clashes. In Cape Town over the weekend, hundreds of Zimbabweans were moved from outside their country’s consulate to a repatriation center. Shopping mall owners have privately prepared for possible violence, citing the risk of unrest similar to the July 2021 riots that left hundreds dead and caused roughly $3 billion in damage.

The South African Property Owners Association said joint operations with public and private security will protect assets. Sixty-one anti-migrant demonstrations occurred between April and June this year, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project.

Public distrust of African immigrants reached more than 73 percent in 2025, up from 62 percent four years earlier, the Inclusive Society Institute reported.

March and March has conducted “citizens’ audits” of businesses, blockaded health facilities, and set up checkpoints outside schools. Investigative reporting by amaBhungane linked some movement leaders to figures in former president Jacob Zuma’s family orbit.

Jacinta Ngobese, leader of March and March, denied political party ties and said responsibility for border enforcement rests with the government.

"If anyone wants to point a finger at someone who must take responsibility, start with those who allowed illegal immigration in the first place," Ngobese said June 29.