South Africa’s anti-migrant tensions intensify as ‘March and March’ sets September 30 ultimatum

 By Our Correspondence, 

DURBAN, South Africa — Tensions over undocumented migration in South Africa have intensified after the anti-immigration group March and March issued a new September 30 ultimatum, following violent clashes between protesters and foreign nationals in Durban.

The latest confrontation took place outside the Durban Refugee Reception Center and Home Affairs offices on Che Guevara Road, where about 100 members of the group confronted a makeshift encampment housing several hundred foreign nationals, many of them from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The protesters described their action as a “cleanup campaign”, but the situation turned violent after demonstrators allegedly began taking belongings from people living at the camp. Stones were thrown between the two groups, while police deployed stun grenades to disperse the crowds.

A Congolese community leader said five Congolese nationals, including two children, were injured during the confrontation. One foreign national was arrested after a stone thrown during the violence struck a police officer.

The unrest has raised fresh concerns about the possibility of wider anti-migrant violence as the September 30 deadline approaches.

March and March is demanding that undocumented foreign nationals leave South Africa by September 30. Group leaders have warned of a large-scale national protest if their demands are not met, describing the planned action as a potentially much bigger mobilisation than previous demonstrations.

The group has also threatened community-led “mass deportations”, raising concerns among migrant communities and rights advocates about the prospect of vigilante action outside the country’s formal immigration and deportation processes.

The September 30 date has no legal status as a government deportation deadline. South African authorities, rather than protest groups, are responsible for enforcing immigration law and carrying out deportations through established legal procedures.

The latest threats follow an earlier June 30 ultimatum that generated significant fear among migrant communities and was followed by protests and pressure campaigns in parts of the country.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned anti-migrant rhetoric and attacks, warning that discrimination against foreign nationals undermines South Africa’s relationships with other African countries and the broader goal of regional integration.

Police have increased their presence in KwaZulu-Natal following the Durban violence, with authorities seeking to prevent further clashes between protesters and foreign nationals.

For migrant communities, however, the September 30 deadline has become a source of growing anxiety. The prospect of another mobilisation comes at a time when South Africa continues to debate undocumented migration, unemployment, access to public services and the enforcement of immigration laws.

The dispute also highlights a wider challenge facing South Africa: how to address legitimate concerns about immigration and border control without allowing political pressure or community mobilisation to turn into attacks against people based on their nationality.

As September 30 approaches, attention is likely to remain focused on whether March and March proceeds with its threatened nationwide action — and how South African authorities respond to prevent another escalation of violence.