South African police arrested more than 900 people during nationwide anti-migrant protests on 30 June, as thousands of demonstrators marched in major cities to demand that undocumented foreign nationals leave the country. Of 120 registered marches, 108 remained peaceful while 12 required police intervention, deputy national police commissioner Tebello Mosikili told a press conference. One person was shot dead in Johannesburg’s Alexandra township amid looting of foreign-owned spaza shops, and two others were injured in a shooting in the inner-city Hillbrow neighbourhood. In Durban, police opened an inquest after a foreign national died falling from a building on the eve of the protests, reportedly believing he was being targeted. The marches capped weeks of unrest that, according to the African Centre for Migration and Society’s Xenowatch tracker, had already claimed two lives this year.

President Cyril Ramaphosa met protest leaders the day before the marches in an effort to defuse tensions, while the police ministry confirmed the army was deployed on a contingency basis in parts of Johannesburg and Durban. Protest organisers, including the group March and March led by Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, handed memoranda to government officials and vowed to stage demonstrations every Thursday for six months to force the removal of undocumented migrants. A demonstrator from Operation Dudula told the BBC the movement would “push the police” to arrest foreigners without legal status. The South African government has maintained that only authorised state institutions may enforce immigration laws, yet critics in West African diplomatic circles argue that official rhetoric has not done enough to restrain vigilante groups.

Viewed from Abuja, Accra and Lilongwe, the protests triggered an urgent diplomatic and humanitarian response. Nigeria’s senior special assistant to the president on foreign affairs, Ademola Oshodi, demanded that South Africa investigate attacks, protect Nigerian communities, and activate the bilateral early warning mechanism, warning that “Africa cannot speak of unity while Africans remain unsafe in Africa.” Both Nigeria and Ghana summoned South African high commissioners in recent weeks, and Nigeria has evacuated more than 400 citizens while Ghana repatriated over 1,000. Malawian authorities say more than 15,000 nationals left South Africa ahead of the 30 June deadline, part of what appears to be the first multi-country official repatriation during periodic waves of anti-foreigner violence. Returnees in Malawi described hiding in their homes, witnessing killings, and losing all their property.

South Africa has experienced recurrent episodes of xenophobic violence since the 2008 riots that killed over 60 people, driven by high unemployment and competition for scarce resources. The current unrest has drawn international criticism and strained relations with neighbouring states. Police reinforcements remain deployed across five provinces, and investigations continue into deaths, looting, and public violence. Protest leaders have pledged to sustain pressure, while African governments press for legal accountability and the protection of their nationals. The dossier remains open, with no formal resolution yet reached between Pretoria and the affected capitals.