a 30-year-old Mozambican national.
The choice to remain in South Africa has become a perilous one for many migrants, as rising political hostility and a shifting legal landscape create a climate of intense fear and uncertainty.
This pressure reached a boiling point with the emergence of the "March and March" movement, a nationwide anti-immigrant campaign that issued an unauthorised June 30, 2026, deadline for undocumented foreigners to leave the country.
"I refuse to leave," stated an anonymous 28-year-old Zambian national, reflecting on the support she received during a recent period of unrest.
She recounted how, during the June 30 shutdown, her South African neighbour protected her children by hiding them in her home as protesters marched through their neighbourhood.
