By Gabriel Manyati
As winter deepens across the Highveld, fear is spreading faster than the seasonal chill. In packed hostels, crowded townships, and informal trading zones from Cape Town to Johannesburg, foreign nationals from across the continent are packing their few belongings and saying quiet goodbyes.
The reason is stark: a self-imposed 30 June deadline set by South African anti-immigrant vigilante groups demanding that all undocumented foreigners leave the country or face the consequences.
What began as sporadic xenophobic protests has escalated into a coordinated regional crisis. Governments across Southern and West Africa are now stepping in to extract their citizens from a nation once celebrated as the continent’s beacon of hope. In the past week alone, hundreds have already been repatriated, with thousands more preparing to follow. The images of weary travellers boarding buses at dawn and families clutching plastic bags of possessions tell a story of dashed dreams and rising regional tensions.
Mozambique has moved with particular urgency. On Tuesday, its Council of Ministers authorised a full-scale evacuation operation after brutal attacks in Mossel Bay, Western Cape, on 29 May. According to official statements, just over 800 Mozambicans were targeted that day. Seven died, five from direct violence and two in a tragic road accident while fleeing.
More than 300 returned home independently over the weekend, while others sought shelter in safe houses. By Wednesday, 545 citizens had crossed back into Mozambique at the Ressano Garcia border post, transported in government-provided buses. Officials described heart-wrenching scenes of families receiving emergency food rations for 10 days before beginning the journey to their villages. Six large buses and 12 minibuses are now ferrying people home, with Mozambican consular staff working around the clock alongside South African authorities to resolve documentation issues, including the temporary detention of one child.
The volatility is extreme, a senior Mozambican official told regional diplomats. “With the June 30 ultimatum hanging over certain communities, we expect the situation to deteriorate further. Our government will not leave its people exposed.”
Nigeria, home to one of the largest diaspora communities in South Africa, is preparing an even larger operation. The Nigerian High Commission begins screening citizens today (Thursday) for what could be multiple charter flights. A foreign ministry spokesperson projected that between 2000 and 4000 Nigerians may need evacuation. The scale reflects both the size of the community and the intensity of threats many have reported in recent days.
Ghana has already acted. Last week, a chartered flight carried 297 Ghanaians out of OR Tambo International Airport. A second flight is expected soon, though exact timing remains unclear.
Malawi, meanwhile, announced on social media platforms that it would begin repatriating citizens who wish to leave, with details to follow. Sources in Lilongwe indicate road transport is the most likely method, given the numbers involved and the shorter distances.
These moves come after multiple diplomatic démarches to Pretoria. The Malawian government praised South African authorities for taking decisive steps to address vigilante violence, while simultaneously warning its citizens against scams by individuals falsely claiming to represent official evacuation efforts.
The current wave of xenophobia is not entirely new. South Africa has grappled with anti-foreigner sentiment for years, often flaring during periods of high unemployment, service delivery protests, and economic hardship. Informal traders from Nigeria, Somalia, and Zimbabwe, along with construction workers from Mozambique and Malawi, have frequently been scapegoated for everything from rising crime to strained public resources.
Yet the organised nature of the current campaign, complete with public deadlines and coordinated protests, has alarmed observers across the continent.
Analysts point to a toxic mix of genuine grievances and political opportunism. South Africa’s official unemployment rate hovers near 33 percent, with youth joblessness even higher. Many South Africans feel that porous borders and weak immigration enforcement have allowed undocumented migrants to compete for scarce low skilled jobs and trading opportunities. Criminal elements have exploited these tensions, using xenophobic rhetoric as cover for looting and extortion.
However, the human cost is undeniable. Foreign nationals contribute significantly to South Africa’s economy, running spaza shops in townships where local businesses have folded, providing skilled labour in sectors with shortages, and injecting capital into informal markets. Their sudden departure risks disrupting supply chains for basic goods and deepening shortages in already struggling communities.
For the migrants themselves, the calculus is brutally simple. “I came here to feed my family, not to die,” said one Mozambican trader who asked not to be named as he waited for repatriation transport.
Many leave behind years of savings, informal businesses, and children born in South Africa who may now face uncertain futures.
The South African government finds itself in a difficult position. President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration has repeatedly condemned xenophobia and promised enhanced police protection. Yet critics argue that years of political rhetoric blaming foreigners for national problems have emboldened vigilante groups.
The upcoming local government elections add another layer of complexity, as parties compete for votes in communities where anti-immigrant sentiment runs high.
Regional implications are profound. The Southern African Development Community has called for calm, while the African Union is monitoring developments closely. The irony is bitter: a nation that once received solidarity from across Africa during its struggle against apartheid is now driving out the very brothers and sisters who supported it.
As evacuation flights and buses continue in the coming days, the clock is ticking toward 30 June. Whether the deadline passes with further violence or a tense standoff remains to be seen. What is already clear is that South Africa’s relationships with its neighbours, built over decades of shared history, are under severe strain.
The images of empty market stalls and frightened families heading for the border serve as a sobering reminder that xenophobia ultimately harms everyone: those forced to flee, those left behind in disrupted communities, and a nation struggling to live up to its own promise of unity and dignity for all.
For now, the buses roll and the planes wait. Africa is watching to see whether South Africa can reclaim its role as a leader or whether fear and division will define this winter of discontent.
