Anti-Immigrant Protesters Raid Homes in Johannesburg

The movement, organized under the banner of groups like March and March, continues to gain momentum despite government warnings against vigilante action. In Alexandra, community leader Bongani Msomi confirmed the group’s intent to forcibly remove foreigners from their homes. Similar scenes unfolded in Soweto and Durban, where marchers gathered to demand stricter border controls and the exclusion of non-citizens from local schools and health services. Among those apprehended were individuals with legal documentation, including Total Mhlanga, a Zimbabwean national holding a valid exemption permit.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned the scapegoating of migrants for the country’s systemic unemployment and infrastructure issues. Local police have deployed officers to manage the marches and have increased their own detention efforts, though authorities remain largely silent on the legality of the protesters' direct actions. Fear has prompted a mass exodus from the region; according to government data, over 38,000 Malawian citizens and 60,000 Zimbabweans have repatriated in recent weeks to escape the rising hostility.