South Africa braces for anti-migrant protests
Key takeaways
- Tensions are rising ahead of planned anti-migrant protests on June 30, as South Africa's government warns against violence.
- President Cyril Ramaphosa issued a firm message as tensions escalated nationwide: "We will not tolerate any attempts to destabilise the country by anyone, whether marching or otherwise," Ramaphosa said.
- The protests have been called by groups including "March and March" and others campaigning against undocumented migration.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Tensions are rising ahead of planned anti-migrant protests on June 30, as South Africa's government warns against violence. Analysts say deep social and economic crises are fueling unrest and xenophobia.
https://p.dw.com/p/5G7HUAnti migrant groups, such as March and March have been calling for the expulsion of undocumented migrants Image: Ihsaan Haffejee/REUTERSAdvertisement South Africais on edge in the days leading up to planned anti-migrant demonstrations on June 30, with authorities warning against unrest and preparing for possible violence. President Cyril Ramaphosa issued a firm message as tensions escalated nationwide: "We will not tolerate any attempts to destabilise the country by anyone, whether marching or otherwise," Ramaphosa said.
The protests have been called by groups including "March and March" and others campaigning against undocumented migration. These organizations have set an informal deadline for migrants without legal status to leave the country, raising fears of renewed xenophobic violence in a nation that has experienced repeated outbreaks since the end of apartheid in 1994.