South Africa on the Edge as Deadline Looms

Can the Government Prevent the Precipice?

Heavy police presence keeping watch as locals taunted foreign national seeking help at the Diakonia Centre fore fear of being attacked

By CHRIS MAKHAYE

There are widespread fears that South Africa is heading towards violent unrest as the June 30 deadline set by anti-illegal immigrant groups approaches.

Communities across the country are tense, with recent incidents already pointing to the volatility of the situation. In Mossel Bay, Western Cape, Mozambican nationals were killed in KwaNonqaba over the weekend, with shacks torched and families displaced. While local police confirmed two fatalities, the Mozambican government has claimed that five of its citizens died in the attacks.

In KwaZulu-Natal, police arrested a prominent member of the All Truck Drivers Forum (ATDF-SA) along the N3 near Bergville. The organisation – which has since its inception campaigned against the hiring of foreign drivers in South Africa - was implicated in the torching of the trucks in July 21, thus escalating the fires that had started with the arrest of former president Jacob Zuma for contempt of court.

This year marks five years since the turmoil that caused widespread destruction believed to be in the region of R50 billion, resulted in the death of more than 389 people and rose racial animosities and or friction between African and Indian communities after the violence that erupted in Phoenix.

Agent provocateur

The man arrested at the weekend was allegedly inciting violence, attempting to stop trucks, and linked to the stoning of a bus. Several accomplices were also taken into custody. Colonel Robert Netshiunda, the provincial police spokesperson, warned that law enforcement agencies would act firmly against those who try to destabilise communities or block highways, stressing that “no acts of violence, intimidation or incitement will be tolerated.”

Deployments

There are also unconfirmed reports that the government has begun deploying security forces in potential hotspots, with the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) said to be on red alert and instructed to be ready for deployment at a moment’s notice.

Other anti-foreign national attacks have been reported around the country, though many remain unverified. In Durban, hundreds of foreign nationals fled their homes two weeks ago and sought refuge at the Diakonia Centre. They said they had been threatened by groups who came knocking on their doors, shouting “Abahambe, they must leave.”

Unchecked

Much of the momentum behind the marches and the groups driving them comes from a narrative that has found deep resonance among ordinary South Africans. Protestors argue that the government has allowed the country’s borders to remain porous, enabling undocumented migrants to enter unchecked.

They accuse officials at Home Affairs and members of the police of accepting bribes to look the other way, and point to unscrupulous business people who, in collaboration with human trafficking syndicates, facilitate the influx of undocumented foreign nationals. They accuse the government of black township and informal settlements' economies from being hijacked by foreign cartels, despite all the legislation and other powers at their disposal, and also accuse some top government officials and police officials of working in concert with foreign drug syndicates.

This messaging has struck a chord in communities already battered by unemployment, poverty, and crime. For many locals, the idea that foreigners are taking scarce jobs, undercutting wages, or benefiting from corrupt networks feeds into their daily frustrations.

Risk assessed

Even security analysts are warning of the risks ahead. Dr Johan Burger, a security analyst and former researcher at the Institute for Security Studies, cautioned that government must act to close the space exploited by organisers of xenophobic marches. “This situation is reminiscent of the xenophobic violence that erupted around 2008, where there was a perception that foreigners were responsible for many illegal activities. The perception that these organisations are creating is that if the country were to be rid of immigrants, it would become a paradise… which is not the case. It is not foreign nationals that are committing most crimes in the country; if one looks at the statistics in the prisons of people who are arrested, it’s mostly South Africans,” he said in an interview wih The Mercury https://themercury.co.za/news/2026-05-27-security-experts-warn-against-anti-immigrant-violence-ahead-of-june-30-mass-protest/

In an interview with The Quest, .Chad Thomas of IRS Forensic Investigations delivered a stark warning about potential unrest. “There may be a risk of isolated looting and attacks on foreign owned business but this will not reach the levels of destruction and violence seen in July 2021. But the informal settlements, townships, the CBDs and industrial areas remain vulnerable,” Thomas said, noting that many businesses are already fortifying their premises, hiring additional security, and steering clear of areas that could become volatile.

Anger

Celebrity DJ Felix Hlophe of iGagasi FM has also voiced his fears, writing on his verified Facebook timeline that unless the matter is resolved, his fears that violence is likely to erupt. He said he has “never witnessed such anger” among people during his public engagements, a sentiment that reflects the depth of frustration and hostility simmering across communities. TQ

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