South Africa anti-migrant marches turn violent on June 30; 25,000+ expelled, SANDF deployed to Kliptown
Marches erupted across all nine provinces on June 30 as the March and March ultimatum expired; shots fired near Hillbrow, looting in Kliptown, SANDF deployed by afternoon; more than 25,000 foreign nationals had already been repatriated or deported before the day began.
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Violence broke out in several provinces by afternoon. Shots were fired near the Hillbrow march corridor in Johannesburg; the South African National Defence Force was deployed to Kliptown after looting began at several locations. Multiple journalists covering the protests were attacked in Johannesburg and KwaZulu-Natal. Police were reported standing by without intervening at some flashpoints. Operation Dudula leaders attributed the violence to criminal elements infiltrating the marches and reiterated calls for restraint. ↗
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Police reported no major incidents by early morning as marches got underway across all nine provinces under heavy SAPS deployment. Updated repatriation figures put total foreigners bussed out or deported since mid-June at more than 25,000, up from the 13,000 reported the previous day, with Malawi, Ghana, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe each organising state-sponsored return convoys. BusinessTech risk maps showed 30 June protest hotspots in Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, and Polokwane as the primary flashpoints. ↗
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June 30 protests got underway with massive SAPS deployment across pre-identified hotspots. A total of 195 anti-foreigner protesters had been arrested in the four months preceding the date. An earlier mob in Mossel Bay destroyed 55 shacks in an informal settlement, displacing migrants. Ngobese-Zuma warned protesters against looting or physical attacks, saying violence would damage the movement's international credibility. No reports of fatalities as of early morning. ↗
Summary
Anti-migrant marches organised by March and March, led by Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, and allied groups including Operation Dudula erupted across all nine South African provinces on June 30 as the ultimatum deadline for undocumented foreigners to leave expired. The Johannesburg march ran from Bayers Naude Square into Hillbrow; the Durban march from King Dinuzulu Park to South Beach. By afternoon, violence broke out: shots were fired near the Hillbrow corridor, looting started at multiple Kliptown locations, the South African National Defence Force was deployed, and journalists were attacked in Johannesburg and KwaZulu-Natal. More than 25,000 foreign nationals had already been bussed out or deported before June 30 began, including roughly 9,000 Malawians, 3,000 Zimbabweans, 900 Ghanaians and 300 Nigerians. In the fortnight before the deadline, three people were killed, a Malawian man beaten to death in Pietermaritzburg and two Mozambicans in the Western Cape. A Mossel Bay mob destroyed 55 shacks. Deportations nationwide reached 109,344 as of March 2026, up 46 percent year-on-year. President Cyril Ramaphosa deployed a R640 million police operation and said South Africa "will not tolerate xenophobia," but Operation Dudula leaders said afternoon violence came from criminal infiltrators. Mozambique, Ghana, Nigeria, and Malawi each organised state-sponsored repatriation convoys.
The split
South African media and human rights groups stress the constitutional illegality of vigilante enforcement and criticise Ramaphosa for tacitly validating anti-migrant sentiment by ramping up deportations even before June 30. Regional African governments, including Malawi and Mozambique, frame the crisis as a failure of bilateral diplomacy and a test of the AU's free-movement agenda. The March and March leadership insists the movement targets undocumented status, not nationality: critics say the distinction collapses when a Malawian man is chased and beaten to death and foreign-owned businesses are set alight regardless of documentation.
By the numbers
- 25,000+, foreign nationals repatriated or deported since mid-June
- 3, foreign nationals killed in pre-deadline protests (1 Malawian, 2 Mozambican)
- 109,344, total deportations as of March 31, 2026, up 46 percent year-on-year
- 195, anti-foreigner protesters arrested in the four months before June 30
- R640 million, cost of SAPS' special security operation for June 30
Why it matters
South Africa hosts an estimated 2-4 million undocumented migrants. The afternoon violence, and SANDF deployment, signals that the security cordon did not fully hold, inviting escalation from both march organisers and vigilante factions. The episode damages Ramaphosa's AU chair credibility and puts bilateral relationships with Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe under visible strain. If June 30 becomes a template rather than a one-off, South Africa's position as a regional economic anchor becomes contested.
What to watch
- Final incident count and whether any additional fatalities are confirmed from June 30 violence.
- The ANC government's bilateral response to Malawi and Mozambique, and whether the AU table this formally.
- Whether March and March declares victory or escalates a follow-on action.
- The trajectory of the deportation surge: whether authorities maintain 2026's 46 percent year-on-year pace or draw back under diplomatic pressure.