Concerns are growing across South Africa following social media calls for a possible mobilisation against foreign nationals on June 30, prompting fears of renewed xenophobic violence and forcing some migrants to seek safety.
The rumours have gained traction in recent weeks, particularly in Durban, where some foreign nationals report being displaced from their homes, businesses and trading spaces amid rising tensions. While authorities say there is currently no confirmed threat, law enforcement agencies are monitoring developments closely.
Acting National Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane said police have operational plans in place to maintain public order and respond to any incidents of violence, intimidation or destruction of property.
“Police will continue to act decisively against any acts of violence, intimidation, incitement, destruction of property, or unlawful conduct directed at any individual or group,” Dimpane said.
Police statistics released this week show that 1,891 undocumented foreign nationals were arrested during operations across the country, while more than 29,000 arrests have been recorded since the beginning of the year.
In Durban, the eThekwini Municipality said reports of a June 30 uprising are receiving attention from law enforcement agencies. Metro Police spokesperson Colonel Boysie Zungu said officers are preparing deployments to ensure the safety of all residents and visitors.
Although no specific high-risk areas have been identified, Zungu confirmed that some foreign-owned businesses have temporarily closed and some migrants have already left certain communities due to safety concerns.
The South African National Defence Force has also dismissed claims circulating online that troops will be deployed ahead of the planned demonstrations, describing such reports as false and misleading.
As uncertainty grows, many migrants have turned to churches, humanitarian organisations and legal support groups for assistance. Some displaced foreign nationals have sought refuge outside the Diakonia Centre and the offices of Lawyers for Human Rights in Durban after reporting threats and attacks.
Nyiko Manyusa, an attorney with Lawyers for Human Rights, said the situation is increasingly being driven by public perception rather than facts.
“People have been assaulted, especially at their trading spaces. They had their stock taken over, they had their salons taken over,” he said.
Manyusa warned that both documented and undocumented migrants are being targeted, with some victims attacked simply because of their appearance, language or perceived nationality.
He also criticised the repeated use of labels such as “illegal foreigner”, arguing that such language blurs the distinction between asylum seekers, refugees and undocumented migrants and increases the risk of wrongful targeting.
Political analysts and civil society groups say the growing hostility reflects deeper frustrations over unemployment, poverty, corruption and poor service delivery rather than immigration itself.
Political analyst Sandile Swana said anti-immigration campaigns are distracting attention from South Africa’s underlying economic challenges.
“The anti-immigration campaign is a clear diversion of attention,” he said, warning that inflammatory rhetoric could eventually trigger wider instability.
Professor Rozena Maart of the University of KwaZulu-Natal said many communities are struggling with unreliable basic services, including water and electricity, creating frustration and resentment.
Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema has described anti-immigration mobilisation as “Afrophobia”, arguing that migrants are being unfairly blamed for problems caused by government failures.
Similarly, GOOD Party secretary-general Brett Herron warned that anti-immigrant rhetoric risks fuelling violence similar to the deadly xenophobic attacks of 2008, which claimed 62 lives.
Experts say public anger over economic hardship is real but caution that violence against migrants will not solve South Africa’s social and economic problems. Instead, they argue that grievances should be addressed through democratic institutions, legal channels and policy reforms rather than targeting vulnerable communities.
As June 30 approaches, authorities, community leaders and human rights groups are urging calm while continuing efforts to prevent tensions from escalating into violence.
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