Workers stayed home, stores closed, and buses stopped running in several South African cities on Tuesday (30) as fears grew that planned anti-immigrant marches would degenerate into violence.
According to Reuters, many foreigners from African countries avoided going to their workplaces, while thousands had already fled before the deadline set by protesters for all undocumented immigrants to leave the country.
Most interpreted this ultimatum as a physical threat. In the past, xenophobic protests in South Africa have resulted in acts of violence against immigrants and their property, with little distinction made between those who entered the country legally and those who did so illegally.
Police and military forces on the streets
Landlords in the cities of Johannesburg and Durban evicted foreign tenants for fear that their buildings would be targeted by acts of vandalism, according to witnesses.
“All these people were evicted by their landlords,” said Mabako Majole, a leader of the Congolese community, standing with a group of about 100 people sleeping on the street in downtown Durban.
“All these people are here legally. They have documents.”
Police and military forces have been deployed to the streets to maintain order during the marches in various cities, which are expected to draw many thousands of South Africans, most of whom are poor or unemployed.
“The state has a duty and an obligation to ensure that those who protest do so peacefully,” said Deputy National Police Commissioner Tebello Mosikili at a press conference held Monday night.
The latest wave of anti-immigrant sentiment, coupled with the failure of law enforcement authorities to protect the victims of the attacks, has tarnished South Africa’s post-Mandela reputation as a champion of human rights and exacerbated diplomatic tensions with the rest of the African continent.
Statements by political leaders have also lent some credence to the protesters’ concerns, even as they condemned the acts of violence.
“South Africans’ deep concerns regarding illegal immigration are real and deserve to be heard,” said President Cyril Ramaphosa in a statement released on Monday.
“However, the right to protest does not authorize anyone to threaten or intimidate others, nor to engage in acts of vandalism or violence,” he added.
