Anti-immigration tensions in South Africa are escalating ahead of a planned nationwide shutdown on 30 June, with the government appealing for calm while warning that unlawful behaviour will not be tolerated.

The shutdown is being organised by the anti-immigration movement March and March, which says all undocumented foreign nationals must leave the country by the end of June.

The group has staged marches in several cities, including Durban, Pretoria and Cape Town, where supporters recently marched through Bellville demanding tougher action against undocumented migrants.

In response to growing tensions, the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster held urgent talks at the Union Buildings this week with ministers, security officials, political parties and protest organisers.

Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi stressed that South Africans have a constitutional right to protest, but warned against vigilantism, intimidation and criminal conduct. She urged organisers to notify authorities in advance so police can secure marches and protect both protesters and bystanders.

Meanwhile, International Relations spokesperson Chrispin Phiri condemned online abuse and warned against dehumanising migrants, saying structural economic problems cannot be solved by targeting foreign nationals.

No amount of cyberbullying will change the facts:

1. Irregular migration cannot be addressed by vigilantism. Law enforcement must address all matters of criminality, including the abuse of immigration laws.

2. Migration will happen, but it must happen within the confines of the…

— Chrispin Phiri 🇿🇦 (@Chrispin_JPhiri) May 25, 2026

Human rights organisations and civic groups have raised concerns that the rhetoric surrounding the protests is fuelling xenophobia and could trigger violence similar to previous anti-immigrant attacks seen in 2008 and 2019.

Stats, studies and facts contradict key claims behind March and March movement

While anti-immigration groups argue that undocumented migration places pressure on jobs and public services, researchers and migration experts dispute many of the claims circulating online.

Studies by the OECD and Stats SA have found no evidence that immigrants are the primary cause of unemployment, and recent Stats SA findings show that immigrant households contributed hundreds of billions of rand to the economy through income and spending.

The claim that foreigners are responsible for most violent crime also does not hold up under scrutiny. SAPS does not officially publish crime stats by nationality, but prison data showed foreign nationals made up a smaller percentage of prisoners than their share of the population.

There is also no evidence that South African hospitals are overcrowded due to foreign nationals. The fact is that the South African healthcare system struggles to provide sufficient medical care to any person, regardless of their nationality or status. There are reports that patients are turned away because they don’t possess South African identity documents.

The government has also rejected claims that it is failing to act on undocumented migration. Home Affairs operations and border enforcement have intensified over the past year, with officials reporting hundreds of thousands of deportations and expanded border security measures.

Police remain on high alert ahead of the planned shutdown, with authorities warning that any violence, intimidation or attacks on foreign nationals will result in arrests and prosecution.