Thousands of anti-immigration protesters took to the streets across South Africa on Tuesday to demand the removal of undocumented foreigners.
The demonstrations, which were held under heavy police presence, have raised fresh concerns among foreign nationals, including Nigerians living in the country.
Videos shared online showed large crowds marching through Johannesburg, where protesters demanded that undocumented immigrants leave the country.
The protest followed an unofficial June 30 deadline issued by anti-migration campaigners. According to the BBC, police officers were deployed across the country over fears that the demonstrations could turn violent.
Ahead of the protests, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa urged demonstrators to refrain from “intimidation, threats or ultimatums,” saying the marches should remain peaceful even as his government acknowledged the need for immigration reforms.
The BBC reported that the demonstrations were “largely peaceful across the country, with isolated incidents of looting and attempted looting.”
In Johannesburg, it was said the city centre was unusually quiet, with many businesses shut and police maintaining a strong presence on major roads.
It added that some protesters threw bricks, smashing the windows of flats in Yeoville, a suburb with a large African migrant population. Police also arrested five people in Soweto for allegedly looting a foreign-owned shop.
In contrast, another five were arrested in Hammarsdale, KwaZulu-Natal, over the alleged break-in of a tuck shop, according to the report.
According to the BBC, “many have already fled to escape violence and intimidation,” with South African police saying 25,000 people have been repatriated so far, most of them from other African countries.
One undocumented Malawian preparing to leave South Africa told the broadcaster he was “happy to be going back” but “heartbroken” to be leaving behind his four young children.
The demonstrations also coincided with growing fears among Nigerians living in South Africa.
On Monday, dozens of Nigerians gathered at the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria seeking refuge over fears of possible xenophobic attacks ahead of the June 30 protests.
Some said they felt safer at the embassy after reports of planned demonstrations, while others who had reported for evacuation remained stranded because they were not scheduled to leave on the latest flight.
The Federal Government has since continued its voluntary evacuation programme.
Another batch of 271 Nigerians arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Tuesday aboard an Air Peace flight from Johannesburg and were received by officials of the National Emergency Management Agency, the Nigeria Immigration Service and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission.
The latest evacuation forms part of the Federal Government’s efforts to assist Nigerians who have opted to return home as anti-immigration tensions persist in South Africa, with authorities continuing to monitor developments following the nationwide protests.
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