South African cities shuttered ahead of anti-migrant protests
South African cities have been shut down ahead of anti-migrant protests, with workers staying home and shops closed due to fears of violence. The protests have been sparked by concerns over illegal immigration, but many foreigners who are legally in the country are also being targeted. The South African government has deployed police and military to the streets to try to keep order during the marches, which are expected to attract thousands of people.
- ▪Many foreigners from African countries have avoided coming to work and thousands have already fled ahead of the deadline set by the demonstrators.
- ▪Landlords in Johannesburg and Durban have been evicting foreign tenants for fear of their buildings being vandalised.
- ▪The latest anti-immigrant sentiment has tarnished South Africa's post-Mandela reputation as a human rights defender and strained its relations with the rest of the continent.
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South African cities shuttered ahead of anti-migrant protestsSign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inboxForeign nationals sleep on the street, in front of a Home Affairs office in Durban, South Africa, June 30, 2026. REUTERS/Rogan Ward Published Jun 30, 2026, 02:30 PMUpdated Jun 30, 2026, 02:30 PMSet as preferred sourceDURBAN, South Africa, June 30 - Workers stayed home, shops were shut and buses sat idle across South Africa on Tuesday, as fears mounted that planned anti-immigrant marches would descend into violence.Many foreigners from African countries avoided coming to work, and thousands had already fled ahead of Tuesday's deadline -- set by the demonstrators -- for all undocumented migrants to leave.Most have interpreted the deadline as a physical threat.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at The Straits Times.