South African President Cyril Ramaphosa met with leaders of anti-immigration movement Insizwa Nobunsiza on June 29, a day before planned nationwide protests, urging them to ensure that demonstrations remain peaceful and within the law.
During the meeting, which included movement leaders Ngizwe Mchunu and Nkosikhona Ndabandaba, Ramaphosa acknowledged citizens’ constitutional right to protest but stressed that such rights must be exercised responsibly and without violence.
The Presidency also reaffirmed that the South African government is solely responsible for enforcing the country’s immigration laws, emphasizing that migration issues are being addressed through established legal and institutional processes.
On Tuesday, businesses closed, many workers stayed home, and security forces were deployed across parts of the country amid fears that the anti-immigration protests could turn violent.
The demonstrations followed an unauthorised June 30 deadline issued by anti-immigration groups demanding that undocumented migrants leave South Africa. Some protesters carried banners calling on the country to withdraw from the 1951 UN Refugee Convention.
The growing tensions have prompted thousands of foreign nationals to flee affected areas.
At the Mankweng Police Station in Limpopo, displaced Zimbabwean nationals sought refuge while awaiting transport back to their home country. Their spokesperson, Clever Zvitete, confirmed that three buses arrived on Tuesday to evacuate those stranded.
“We are happy to go home,” Zvitete said, adding that the group had remained at the police station because they believed it was the safest place to wait for assistance.
Authorities said the number of Zimbabweans sheltering at the station increased from about 650 to nearly 1,400 by Monday night. The group, which includes pregnant women and children, is expected to be transported to the Beitbridge Border Post for processing at a temporary repatriation centre in Musina before returning to Zimbabwe.
Meanwhile, another group of Nigerians repatriated from South Africa arrived on Tuesday at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
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