South Africa’s anti‑immigrant raids spark door‑to‑door sweeps and mass migrant departures

Anti‑immigration groups in South Africa intensified protests on July 9, organizing door‑to‑door raids in Johannesburg’s Alexandra township and other areas. Protesters broke down doors, detained suspected undocumented migrants and delivered them to police vans, including a woman and a small child from Malawi. Community leader Bongani Msomi declared, “We are going house‑to‑house to remove foreigners.” The movement, March and March, was founded by former radio presenter Jacinta Ngobese‑Zuma and demands tighter border controls, mass deportations and priority access to schools and health services for South Africans. President Cyril Ramaphosa condemned the vigilante actions, stressing that immigration enforcement is the sole responsibility of the state, and police were deployed to protect both residents and migrants.

The violence and intimidation have triggered a regional exodus. Malawi reported that more than 38,000 of its citizens have been repatriated from South Africa in recent weeks, while over 60,000 Zimbabweans have returned home. Other nationals—including Mozambicans, Ghanaians, Nigerians and Kenyans—have also left the country, often under hazardous conditions. Economists warn that the departure of thousands of foreign workers could create labour shortages in sectors such as construction, agriculture, retail and informal commerce, potentially harming South Africa’s already fragile economy.