South African authorities are maintaining a state of high alert as large-scale anti-immigration protests continue across the country, particularly in Durban, while officials warn of a growing wave of misinformation and disinformation that could escalate tensions with neighbouring African nations. Recent marches have drawn thousands of participants from various civil society groups, including March and March, Operation Dudula, Amabhinca Nation, and traditional amabutho from Zulu royal regiments.
On Wednesday, protesters marched through Durban’s central business district, chanting and singing as they moved down Dr Pixley KaSeme Street toward the Point precinct. They formed a human chain around a building on Mahatma Gandhi Road, alleging it was being used by foreign nationals as a drug den. Protesters, some carrying sjamboks, assegais, and shields, claimed to have evidence of illegal activities and accused certain police officers of turning a blind eye in exchange for bribes. Heavily armed law enforcement units, including visible policing, tactical, and public order teams, accompanied the march and entered the premises following the protest action.
The demonstrations follow earlier clean-up campaigns in Durban where participants swept streets and conducted citizen arrests of undocumented traders. Videos circulating on social media showed incidents of confrontations, including one where a man was slammed against a pole and beaten, with initial speculation he was Ghanaian. Another video depicted protesters questioning a Ghanaian man and telling him to return home. March and March leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma later stated that the man in one of the videos was believed to be a local South African.
These events have drawn strong reactions from other African countries. Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa engaged with South Africa’s International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola, highlighting concerns over harassment of law-abiding individuals and referencing Ghana’s historical support during the anti-apartheid struggle. In Nigeria, senators expressed outrage over unverified rumours that two Nigerian nationals had been killed, describing the situation as “Stone Age behaviour.” Calls were made for African Union sanctions and economic retaliation, including targeting South African companies such as MTN and DStv operating in Nigeria.
Department of International Relations and Cooperation spokesperson Chrispin Phiri confirmed that Minister Lamola held a telephone discussion with his Nigerian counterpart, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu. The ministers agreed to address root causes and improve people-to-people relations, building on an earlier warning mechanism discussed in December 2024. Phiri emphasised that concerns about irregular migration are valid but must be directed through law enforcement channels. He highlighted the increase in fake news, noting that unverified claims — such as the alleged killings of Nigerians by security officials — had entered official discussions.
Phiri questioned narratives that paint South Africans broadly as violent and xenophobic while also spreading unverified claims about foreigners. “Just because someone is a foreigner doesn’t mean they are a drug dealer and just because South Africans are protesting doesn’t mean they are violent and people are being hurt,” he stated. The government maintains it is on high alert regarding these developments.
Presidency Minister Vincent Magwenya described the labelling of protests as purely xenophobic as “lazy analysis.” He referenced recent discussions between President Cyril Ramaphosa and Mozambican President Daniel Chapo, who agreed that South Africans are not inherently xenophobic and that African nations should collaborate on addressing underlying migration drivers, including crime committed by any individuals regardless of nationality. Law enforcement has been instructed to act decisively and without favour.
Leaders of the protest movements, including Ngobese-Zuma and Amabhinca Nation’s Ngizwe Mchunu, argue that government and law enforcement have failed to effectively manage illegal immigration, leaving communities to bear the brunt of associated challenges such as crime and unregulated trading.
The situation underscores deep tensions around immigration policy, border management, and community safety in South Africa, complicated by the rapid spread of both verified and fabricated information across the continent.
