Mass anti-immigration demonstrations have sparked widespread tension across South Africa, following a weeks-long campaign targeting foreign nationals.
The unrest has already resulted in at least four fatalities and forced tens of thousands to seek safety, according to The Guardian.
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Protests and Evacuations
In Durban, security forces braced for potential violence as businesses closed and streets emptied.
Over 2,000 demonstrators dressed in Zulu attire marched through the city center, carrying sticks and clubs.
The marchers chanted "Abahambe!" — an isiZulu phrase meaning "They must go!"
— which has become the movement's rallying cry.
Local campaign groups set an arbitrary June 30 deadline for undocumented migrants to leave, raising fears of imminent violence.
Thousands of families abandoned their homes ahead of the deadline, sleeping in open fields, makeshift camps, and on pavements.
Multiple African governments coordinated emergency transportation, and authorities confirmed that over 25,000 individuals have been repatriated so far.
Displacement also intensified in Pietermaritzburg, 50 miles from Durban, where a 29-year-old Malawian national was killed by a mob on June 19.
Hundreds of families spent days camped outside an abandoned building, waiting for evacuation buses heading to the northern border.
Personal Stories of Fear
Jackson Makungwa, a 29-year-old Malawian who lived legally in South Africa for a decade, stood in line with minimal belongings after failing to renew his work permit due to systemic issues.
"It's not like I want to be illegally in the country, but the system doesn't allow me to be here legally," he said.
