South Africa confronts surge in anti‑migrant violence and government crackdown

South Africa is grappling with a renewed wave of xenophobic violence targeting undocumented African migrants. President Cyril Ramaphosa convened an inter‑faith meeting, attended by the South African Jewish Board of Deputies, to discuss the government’s response. The anti‑immigration group March and March, led by radio presenter Jacinta Ngobese‑Zuma, has set a 30 June deadline for all undocumented migrants to leave the country, urging violent protests that have reportedly killed dozens of migrants from Mozambique, Malawi, Ghana, Ethiopia and others.

Ramaphosa’s administration has condemned the deadline and the ensuing “reprehensible acts of vigilantism,” while neighboring governments—including Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Mozambique and Malawi—have evacuated their nationals. The South African Jewish community has launched a fundraising campaign to aid displaced migrants and warned against conspiratorial anti‑Semitic narratives linking the crisis to “Zionists.” The situation underscores persistent challenges in South Africa’s labour market, immigration policy and regional diplomatic relations.