South Africa deploys police and military ahead of anti-immigrant protests.

Shops shuttered, workers stayed home and police fanned out across South Africa on Tuesday as fears mounted that planned anti-immigrant protests would descend into violence. Security personnel were seen patrolling the central business district in Johannesburg, the country’s economic capital, where many shopkeepers decided not to open on Tuesday. Trucks and other assets belonging to the South African National Defence Force were also present, according to local media reports. Thousands of foreigners had already fled ahead of the unauthorised June 30 "deadline" set by anti-immigrant groups for all migrants to leave the country.

The protests have been organised by anti-migration vigilante groups, including March and March, which set an unofficial June 30 deadline for undocumented foreigners to leave the country. Organisers insist they are focused on undocumented migrants and will demonstrate peacefully, but foreigners with documentation have also complained of targeted harassment. Foreign-born migrants make up an estimated 4% of South Africa’s 62 million people, despite claims that they number as many as 15–20 million. Many migrants work in the informal sector of one of Africa’s largest economies, as economic strain in neighbouring countries has caused thousands to seek work there.

South African authorities fear a repeat of the anti-migrant violence in 2008 that led to looting and left 62 people dead. Police units have been deployed to towns and cities around the country ahead of planned demonstrations against undocumented foreign nationals. The police deployment is seen as an attempt to prevent mass looting and mob violence similar to the 2008 anti-migrant riots. In July 2021, more than 350 people were killed in the country’s deadliest unrest since the end of apartheid, after former president Jacob Zuma was jailed for contempt of court.

So far, five Mozambican nationals have been killed, according to a statement from South Africa’s north-eastern neighbour.