South African cities shuttered as anti-migrant protests gather pace

Polity Audio Articles · Jun 30, 2026 · 5m

South African cities shuttered as anti-migrant protests gather pace Demonstrators wrapped in flags and wielding wooden sticks gathered across South Africa on Tuesday for anti-immigrant marches, some of which saw brief outbreaks of violence amid heavy police guard, as shops remained shut and foreign workers stayed at home. Thousands of foreign nationals from elsewhere in Africa had already fled the country ahead of Tuesday's "deadline" set by the demonstrators for all undocumented migrants to leave. In parts of the main commercial city Johannesburg and the port city of Durban, hundreds of…