On June 30, 2026, thousands of demonstrators participated in protests across South Africa, targeting undocumented foreign nationals. These rallies, organized by groups like Operation Dudula and the March and March movement, centered on an unofficial deadline for migrants without residency papers to depart the country. While authorities deployed significant security forces to mitigate violence, the day was marred by widespread looting, particularly in areas near Durban.
Police reported approximately 900 arrests throughout the country, involving both looters and individuals lacking proper documentation. In Clermont, shop owners reported massive losses after their businesses were ransacked for food, electronics, and construction supplies. Mohamed Abdul, a Somali business owner operating in the area for over a decade, described how his store was raided by a crowd, leaving his 19 employees without work. Tragically, in Johannesburg’s Alexandra township, a man was fatally shot during the looting of a foreign-owned shop.
Despite the high tensions and the potential for a repeat of the lethal unrest seen five years prior, experts like Henning Melber and Tendai Mbanje noted that the turnout for the protests was lower than organizers had anticipated. Nonetheless, the ongoing climate of fear has led countries like Ghana, Mozambique, and Liberia to initiate evacuation efforts for their citizens. A transport accident involving a bus carrying people fleeing to the Zimbabwean border resulted in one death and several injuries, further highlighting the precarious situation facing foreign nationals in the country.
