With less than two weeks before the controversial June 30 deadline set by anti-immigration activists, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has called for an urgent joint sitting of Parliament's security cluster committees, warning that South Africa risks a repeat of the deadly xenophobic violence that scarred the country in 2008 if authorities fail to act.
DA Chief Whip Adv. Glynnis Breytenbach expressed concerns in a letter to ANC Chief Whip Mdumiseni Ntuli about increasing attacks on foreign nationals, escalating tensions in various communities, and what she said was an insufficient response from law enforcement.
The call comes amid mounting anxiety across the continent following anti-immigration protests and demands by activist groups for undocumented foreign nationals to leave South Africa by June 30.
Several African governments have already expressed concern about the safety of their citizens. Countries including Nigeria, Malawi, and Mozambique have facilitated the voluntary return of some nationals amid fears sparked by recent anti-foreigner protests, while diplomatic engagements between Pretoria and several African states have intensified in recent weeks.
"Across the country, non-South Africans are under threat," Breytenbach wrote.
