Thousands of African migrants rushed Monday to board buses, taxis and airplanes to leave South Africa ahead of Tuesday’s deadline issued by anti-immigrant vigilante groups calling on undocumented migrants to leave the country.
Experts fear South Africa might experience its worst wave of xenophobic violence on Tuesday, when anti-immigrant groups plan one of their largest marches.
Bus stations serving Southern African regional routes were filled to capacity on Monday as migrants hastily boarded to leave the country.
John Mazibuko, a Zimbabwean national, told Anadolu he was sad to leave the country where he had hoped the future would be bright.
“There are no jobs back home in Zimbabwe. Here in South Africa I was making ends meet as a plumber, but I have no choice but to leave,” he said.
Mazibuko has been living in South Africa for three years but was unable to get a residence permit and was working illegally.
The cries of young children filled the buses as workers loaded the personal belongings of tired-looking passengers who had endured weeks of intimidation, humiliation and attacks at the hands of vigilante groups searching door-to-door for undocumented migrants.
The groups accuse migrants of taking jobs meant for South Africans, committing crimes and crowding already stretched public health facilities and schools.
The South African government has rejected the deadline given to migrants by the vigilante groups March and March and Operation Dudula.
“South Africa is a constitutional republic governed by the rule of law. The exercise of rights by any citizen in a constitutional democracy cannot be determined by intimidation, threats or ultimatums,” President Cyril Ramaphosa wrote in his weekly column on Monday.
The government warned groups planning violence against foreign nationals that they would be arrested and prosecuted.
Despite these assurances, many foreign nationals have chosen to leave the country.
“It’s better to leave the country alive instead of leaving in a coffin,” a Malawian national who gave only his first name as Francis told Anadolu.
Vigilante groups have staged demonstrations for the past three months, calling on the government to deport all undocumented migrants and stop foreign nationals from working in the informal sector.
Airports were also filled with migrants on Monday traveling out of the country ahead of Tuesday’s planned anti-immigrant march and anticipated violence.
“Although I have a valid work permit, I feel it’s better to travel out of the country for a few days and come back when the situation has cooled down,” a Congolese national who works in the health sector told Anadolu at OR Tambo International Airport on condition of anonymity.
Several African countries, including Ghana, Mozambique, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Nigeria, started repatriating their citizens last month.
South African police said Monday they had beefed up security ahead of the June 30 anti-immigrant marches, which experts fear could turn violent.
South Africa has experienced repeated outbreaks of xenophobic violence over the past two decades.
The deadliest attacks erupted in 2008, when violence that began in Alexandra Township spread across the country, killing 62 people. Further anti-migrant violence in 2015 and 2019 left at least 19 people dead and hundreds of migrant-owned businesses looted.
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