900+ arrested in South Africa as anti-migrant marches sweep 120 cities after June 30 deadline

Summary

More than 900 people were arrested across South Africa on July 1 as Operation Dudula and the March and March movement followed through on their June 30 deadline demanding undocumented migrants leave the country. 120 marches took place, 12 of which required police intervention including tear gas. The South African National Defence Force secured major airports. At least two people died in xenophobic attacks in the weeks preceding the marches. Nigeria flew 271 nationals home July 1, the second repatriation flight since registration opened in late June, with a total of 632 Nigerians returned by end of day. Ghana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Malawi also dispatched or planned aircraft. The Ramaphosa government condemned xenophobia while simultaneously announcing tighter border enforcement under the GNU framework, a balancing act that satisfied neither vigilante groups nor regional neighbors.

The split

Nigeria framed the episode as a bilateral rupture, summoning the South African ambassador and insisting on embassy-facilitated emergency departures. Ghana and Zimbabwe similarly coordinated repatriation without waiting for Pretoria. South African government communications leaned heavily on the arrests figure as evidence of law enforcement capacity, while opposition and civil society groups noted that arresting marchers after the fact does not address the structural grievances driving Operation Dudula's mass mobilisation: 33.5% official unemployment and perceived competition for low-skill formal jobs. The African Union called for restraint but issued no formal censure.

By the numbers

• 900+, arrests across South Africa on July 1
• 120, cities where marches occurred
• 12, marches requiring active police intervention with tear gas or rubber bullets
• 2, deaths in xenophobic attacks in preceding weeks
• 632, Nigerians repatriated by July 1 (of 1,000+ registered)
• 33.5%, South Africa's official unemployment rate, underlying political driver

Why it matters

The July 1 marches mark the transition of Operation Dudula from a fringe pressure group into a nationwide mobilisation force that the state had to manage reactively rather than pre-emptively. The bilateral fallout, with Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique deploying repatriation aircraft simultaneously, signals a regional rupture. South Africa is SADC's largest economy and the expected host of the 2026 AU summit; sustained xenophobic crisis strains its continental leadership role. The repatriation flights also strip key sectors, construction and domestic services, of informal labour at a moment of already high unemployment.

What to watch

• Ramaphosa's formal address on the July 1 events and any policy shift beyond verbal condemnation.
• Whether Nigeria moves to impose reciprocal restrictions on South African nationals or businesses.
• ECOWAS and AU institutional responses if repatriation flights continue past July.
• Whether municipal governments in Johannesburg and Cape Town declare targeted emergency measures.