A fresh wave of tension is looming for undocumented foreigners in South Africa after anti-immigration group, March and March, issued a September 30 deadline for them to leave the country.
The group announced the deadline during a protest outside the 46th Southern African Development Community Summit in Durban on Monday.
March and March members marched through central Durban under the theme, “It’s time to fetch your people,” urging African leaders attending the summit to take responsibility for their citizens living in South Africa without valid documentation.
The group had previously organised nationwide protests on June 30, demanding tougher government action against undocumented immigrants and warning that its campaign would continue until its demands were addressed.
According to BBC News Pidgin, the group said the latest protest marked the “second wave” of its June 30 national action.
“We are announcing the second wave of the 30 June National Day of Action and calling on the heads of state to prepare for the massive deportation of all illegal foreigners from South Africa by 30 September, which will be the mother of all protests,” the group said.
It also called on South Africans to cooperate with law enforcement agencies by reporting undocumented foreigners.
“South Africans must follow the law and remain the eyes and ears of the police against any illegal foreigners in the country,” the movement said.
The 46th Ordinary SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government is taking place in Durban, with leaders from the regional bloc’s 16 member states in attendance.
The protest came amid renewed concerns over the treatment of foreign nationals in South Africa, particularly amid allegations of xenophobic attacks and anti-immigrant sentiments.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa recently condemned discrimination and violence against foreign nationals from other African countries.
“We are deeply ashamed that people from other countries have suffered ill-treatment and that others have been forced to leave the country because of threats of violence,” Ramaphosa said.
He added, “We cannot preach integration at a summit like this and practise exclusion on the streets of our countries.”
The June 30 protests were accompanied by security operations, while police also reported incidents of attacks and looting in some areas.
March and March has continued to pressure the South African government to adopt tougher measures against undocumented immigration.
The renewed campaign has also heightened concerns among African governments, with some countries evacuating their citizens from South Africa amid tensions over the treatment of foreign nationals.
The latest protest, held in the presence of regional leaders, has brought the contentious immigration debate directly to the SADC summit, placing renewed pressure on governments whose citizens could be affected by the group’s September 30 ultimatum.
