South Africa witnessed widespread looting and hundreds of arrests after nationwide protests demanding that undocumented foreign nationals leave the country, leaving several businesses destroyed and heightening concerns over public safety.
In the aftermath of Tuesday’s demonstrations, ransacked shops, empty shelves, and discarded packaging were all that remained in parts of Clermont, near the port city of Durban, where looters targeted businesses owned by foreign nationals.
The protests followed a weeks-long campaign by fringe groups calling on undocumented migrants to leave South Africa by June 30. Although police described most of the demonstrations as peaceful, authorities confirmed that about 900 people were arrested, with many detained for looting and immigration-related offences.
Among those affected was 29-year-old Mohamed Abdul, a Somali businessman whose food, hardware, and clothing store was looted by a large group of protesters.
According to Abdul, “We are not illegal in the country but they just started looting. I was scared and felt betrayed because we had 19 people employed here but today they have no job.”
He said the attackers shouted insults at him in Zulu as they emptied his store of food, electrical appliances, building materials, clothing, and even removed an automated teller machine (ATM), leaving only its safe behind.
Abdul, who has lived in the community for 11 years, said his business had long supported local residents through donations and employment opportunities.
According to him, “The community knows me and this is one of the main stores people rely on and we used to donate to families who have nothing.”
Fearing a repeat of the deadly unrest that claimed about 350 lives five years ago, South African authorities deployed heavy security across the country ahead of the demonstrations.
A government multi-agency security body said 120 protest marches were held nationwide, with only 12 requiring direct intervention from law enforcement agencies.
Authorities disclosed that of the more than 900 people arrested, many were undocumented foreign nationals, while others were South Africans accused of participating in looting.
Police also confirmed they are investigating the fatal shooting of a man in Alexandra township, Johannesburg, during an attack on a shop owned by a foreign national.
Political analyst Henning Melber said the demonstrations were less widespread and violent than many had anticipated, arguing that the organisers had overestimated their public support.
Governance expert Tendai Mbanje also suggested that participation would have been significantly lower without the backing of several minor political parties.
Growing security concerns have prompted several African countries, including Ghana, Mozambique, and Liberia, to begin evacuating their citizens from South Africa.
Although many of those being repatriated are Malawian nationals, thousands of migrants who had gathered at a temporary camp in Durban have been relocated to a holding facility near the Zimbabwean border, more than 1,000 kilometres away.
The evacuation exercise suffered a setback after one of the buses transporting 65 passengers crashed near the Beitbridge Border Post, killing the driver and injuring seven passengers, according to South Africa’s Border Management Authority.
Meanwhile, more migrants continued arriving at the Durban camp seeking assistance to leave the country following the protests.
One of them, 32-year-old Nelson Chona, who operated a tuck shop outside Durban, said he delayed leaving because he needed time to gather money before fleeing.
According to Chona, “The landlord said I should leave or else his house might be destroyed. I feel safer here than I am where I used to stay.”
The latest unrest has renewed concerns over xenophobic violence in South Africa, where tensions over immigration, unemployment, and economic hardship have periodically sparked attacks on foreign nationals and their businesses.
