As xenophobic attacks and protests against foreign nationals continued, much of South Africa remained at a standstill Tuesday, with businesses closed and foreign nationals advised to stay indoors.
Anti-migrant groups had set June 30 as the deadline for undocumented migrants to leave the country.
Sources in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban said shops remained closed while police were deployed on major streets.
Precious Kamoto, who lives in Midrand, said the South African Police Service had issued a statement days earlier advising people to stay indoors and report any threats.
- Advertisement -
“The police provided phone numbers for people to report any danger. People have not reported for work and the police have been deployed everywhere to tighten security,” Kamoto said.
- Advertisement -
Jafali Rashid, from Austin Village in Ntcheu District, who lives in the mining city of Krugersdorp in West Rand, said everyone had remained at home and the streets were quiet.
He said there was a heavy police presence in the streets and townships, with police helicopters flying overhead.
“Some protesters have been seen in groups after being chased by the police when they tried to break into houses rented by foreigners,” Rashid said.
He added that some shops owned by foreign nationals had been looted.
- Advertisement -
Esau Malumpha, based in Cape Town, said countries needed to monitor the situation as reports indicated that some Malawians were trapped in certain locations.
He said there were unconfirmed reports that some foreign nationals, including a Malawian, had been injured.
United States-based migration expert Julius Chapunga described the situation in South Africa as “sad and retrogressive”.
Chapunga said Africa had been working towards becoming one community and that the current situation undermined that vision.
“When a brother is fighting another brother because of nationality, then we are on the wrong path. Any move that encourages xenophobic attacks is completely unacceptable,” he said.
Thousands of people marched in major cities demanding that all undocumented migrants leave the country.
Chairperson of the Human Rights Consultative Committee, Robert Mkwezalamba, described the situation in South Africa as “unacceptable and uncalled for”.
Media reports indicate that about 25,000 people have been repatriated, most of them from other African countries, including Malawi.
