Zimbabwean nationals Large crowds gather at the Zimbabwe Consulate in District Six, Cape Town. Many Zimbabwean nationals say they are seeking processing to return home before the planned 30 June march, fearing possible tensions. Dr Imraan Buccus argues that even if widespread violence is avoided on June 30, South Africa has already entered a dangerous new political phase in which xenophobia and ethnic mobilisation have become increasingly normalised. He warns that unemployment, poverty and failing public services are being exploited to scapegoat migrants instead of addressing the country's structural economic problems. Buccus calls for a broad democratic response, led by initiatives such as the Siyafana Sonke Action Campaign, to defend constitutional values, reject vigilantism and rebuild a progressive politics rooted in equality, solidarity and social justice.
South Africa is on tenterhooks.
Across the country, but especially in KwaZulu-Natal and parts of Gauteng, communities are waiting anxiously for 30 June, the deadline issued by xenophobic organisations demanding that migrants leave the country.
The Minister of Police has announced an extraordinary security deployment, backed by a budget of R600 million, to prevent a repetition of the July 2021 unrest.
