The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) called on the South African government to prosecute organisers and participants behind a wave of threats and violence against foreign nationals as the “deadline” for migrants to leave the country arrived on Tuesday.
Tuesday’s nationwide demonstrations are aimed at forcing the government to deal with illegal immigration. The organisers of the events, including anti-immigrant groups March and March and Operation Dudula, have given foreigners a self-imposed June 30 deadline to leave the country.
The deadline is not legally binding and has not been endorsed by the government. The deadline has prompted the government, together with private security firms, to deploy maximum security measures. This is aimed at protecting those who may be affected and to avoid a repeat of July 2021 unrest.
President Cyril Ramaphosa in his weekly newsletter on Monday appealed for calm, acknowledging public concerns about undocumented immigration, border security and pressure on public services.
He insisted these must be addressed through constitutional processes rather than by individuals taking the law into their own hands. He warned the right to protest does not permit threats, intimidation, vandalism and violence and stressed that enforcing immigration laws is the state’s responsibility.
