Anti-immigration protests escalated across South Africa on Thursday as demonstrators went door to door in several communities, forcibly removing suspected undocumented migrants from their homes and handing them over to police, deepening fears among foreign nationals and prompting thousands to flee the country.
In Johannesburg's Alexandra township, protesters broke down doors and entered homes where they believed undocumented immigrants were living before escorting those they detained to waiting police vehicles. Among those taken away were a Malawian woman and her young child.
A Zimbabwean national, Total Mhlanga, who was also detained by protesters, insisted he was lawfully residing in South Africa.
"I am a ZEP holder," he told Reuters, referring to the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit, which allows tens of thousands of Zimbabwean nationals to live and work legally in South Africa.
Similar demonstrations unfolded in Soweto, where protesters carrying sticks and South African flags marched through the township with plans to search neighborhoods for undocumented migrants. Organizers had circulated flyers advertising a "peaceful march" followed by a "door-to-door" operation. Another protest took place in the coastal city of Durban.
