HUNDREDS OF FOREIGNERS FLEE HOMES AS ANTI-MIGRANT VIOLENCE ESCALATES IN SOUTH AFRICA
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Agency Report
Hundreds of foreign nationals have sought refuge in community halls along South Africa’s south coast following violent anti-migrant attacks that forced many to flee their homes amid fears for their safety.
The displaced residents, mostly from Malawi and Mozambique, said they were driven out by groups of locals who allegedly moved from house to house demanding that foreigners leave the country.
Speaking to AFP in Gansbaai, about 110 kilometres southeast of Cape Town, Mozambican national Thomas Vincent Baloyi recounted how he was forced to abandon his home despite possessing valid documents.
“They said, ‘you are a foreigner, you don’t belong in South Africa, so you must go’,” Baloyi said.
The 32-year-old, who has lived in South Africa for nearly 16 years working in construction and gardening, said attempts to explain his legal status were ignored.
“They just chased us away like dogs… that is unfair because, actually, I’m a human being,” he said, adding that he spent the night hiding in nearby bushland.
The unrest follows weeks of anti-illegal immigration protests that intensified over the weekend in Mossel Bay, about 250 kilometres from Cape Town, where at least 55 informal structures were reportedly destroyed by fire.
South African police confirmed that two Mozambican nationals were killed during incidents linked to anti-foreigner demonstrations but disputed claims by the Mozambican government that five of its citizens died as a direct result of the violence.
Mozambique also disclosed that approximately 300 of its citizens crossed back into the country over the weekend, with more expected to follow.
The violence marks the first fatalities linked to a fresh wave of anti-migrant demonstrations led by fringe groups accusing undocumented migrants of contributing to crime and competing for scarce jobs and public resources.
Reports indicate that after one anti-illegal migration group issued a June 30 deadline for undocumented migrants to leave, groups armed with sticks, whips, clubs and axes began enforcing the ultimatum in some communities.
The impact has extended beyond Mozambique, with Ghana reportedly evacuating 300 citizens and planning additional repatriation flights, while Nigeria has also announced emergency evacuation measures.
Local councillor Msa Nomatiti alleged that residents in some communities attacked foreigners regardless of their legal status.
“They were dragging people out of their houses… whether you are legal or illegal, they say they don’t want any foreign nationals in the township,” Nomatiti said.
He further claimed that some of the groups conducting house-to-house searches were accompanied by police officers.
Authorities and humanitarian groups have since opened temporary shelters for displaced persons.
At a mosque in Gansbaai, dozens of displaced residents shared limited facilities while relying on food donations and emergency support.
In Kleinmond, another coastal community, nearly 100 foreign nationals, most of them Malawians, took shelter in a community hall after reportedly being warned by landlords to leave immediately.
One of them, Michael Markson, said they fled into nearby mountains overnight after hearing threats.
“They’re taking pangas… dangerous tools. They can hunt someone,” he said.
Another displaced Malawian, Talibo Mbewe, said looting had left many with nothing.
“The thieves have already taken all our stuff at home, so we don’t have anything. But it’s better to go home without anything than to lose our lives,” he said.
Government officials have reportedly been deployed to assist affected individuals with documentation and facilitate voluntary repatriation efforts as authorities continue to monitor the situation.
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