Several African countries have evacuated their citizens from South Africa.
Community members and local leaders in Kliptown, Soweto, march against undocumented immigrants, 28 June 2026. Picture: Nigel Sibanda / The Citizen
It is not clear whether the foreign nationals who are still in South Africa are safe or not, but the authorities say the situation is under control.
The anti-immigration national protest led by March and March in collaboration with other groups is expected to take place tomorrow throughout the country.
The protest leaders have given the immigrants until tomorrow to leave the country. Yesterday, hundreds of foreign nationals in some parts of the country gathered outside the embassies of their countries, pleading to be taken home.
Last month, several countries, including Malawi, Ghana and Nigeria, transported their people back home and accused the South African government of failing to handle the situation properly.
Experts and law enforcement agencies said the police, with the assistance of the army, were ready to handle the situation.
Security cluster ready
Willem Els, senior criminologist from the Institute for Security Studies, believes police are ready to maintain order.
“We also see that the military is on standby. Our concern is that if it rolls out to the smaller towns and there are flare-ups there, it will be more difficult to contain,” said Els.
“We are much better prepared than in [July] 2021. It seems that some intelligence is there. But also operational planning and logistics are more in place. The strategy of the police minister is to include private security companies and all the other role players.”
Prof Witness Maluleke, senior criminologist from the University of Limpopo, had a different view.
“Police cannot be ready for this event; there is no way they can prevent the anticipated vandalism of malls and other properties if it happens,” he said.
“Their operations are currently too weak to respond solely to such unfortunate events. They need a serious backup of other law enforcement agencies.”
He said, “The use of excessive force against protesters and injuries, including deaths, can possibly occur. So the approach to the protests should ensure that the dignity, safety and security of citizens are maintained at all costs”.
Police minister’s marching orders
Addressing police in KwaZulu-Natal yesterday, Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia said: “As law enforcement officers, our role is not to take sides in any public debate. Our role is to uphold the constitution, enforce the law without fear, favour or prejudice and ensure that public order is maintained at all times.”
The deadline
African Diaspora Forum chair Amir Sheikh commended the government’s actions and declaration regarding the invalidity and unlawfulness of tomorrow’s deadline for undocumented migrants to leave the country and cautioned that any attempts to intimidate foreigners may result in criminal charges.
“We also acknowledge the positive messages from the leadership of March and March, which echo the sentiments expressed by the government,” said Sheikh.
“We hope no extensions will be granted beyond 30 June, as any such extension could potentially exacerbate South Africa’s diplomatic relations with certain sister African nations, escalate tensions, and contribute to the economic instability recently experienced.”
Sheikh said there was also concern about potential backlash or boycotts against South African companies, brands and artists, who have faced retaliatory measures and disruptions across the continent.
“We encourage the government to prioritise the resolution of concerns within indigenous communities, including unemployment, crime, moral regeneration and social cohesion,” he said.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that tomorrow will be a normal working day.
South African National Taxi Association spokesperson Rebbecca Phala said taxis would be operating as usual, but they would be cautious. While Rea Vaya spokesperson Benny Makgoga also assured commuters that buses would be operating as usual.
