Hundreds of foreign nationals, mainly from Malawi and Mozambique, have fled their homes in South Africa after violent anti-migrant mobs went door-to-door demanding they leave by June 30 [1, 2, 3]. Mobs armed with whips, sticks, clubs, and axes have enforced this ultimatum, dragging people out of their houses regardless of legal status, said local councillor Msa Nomatiti: "Whether you are legal or illegal, they say they don't want any foreign nationals in the township" [1].
The violence escalated around June 3, when mobs torched at least 55 shacks in Mossel Bay. On that day, Mozambique's government confirmed that five of its citizens were killed in the xenophobic attacks, while South African police reported two Mozambican deaths but have not linked them definitively to the protests [1, 2]. Hundreds of Mozambican nationals, about 300 on June 3 alone, fled back across the border into Mozambique, with more expecting to follow [1, 2]. Ghana and Nigeria arranged emergency repatriation flights to evacuate their nationals [1, 2, 3].
Many displaced migrants have sought shelter in community halls along South Africa's south coast, including towns like Gansbaai. Some spent nights hiding in mountains and bushland before finding communal shelter [1, 2, 3]. Mozambican migrant Thomas Vincent Baloyi described: "They said 'you are a foreigner, you don't belong in South Africa, so you must go'. I said, 'no, I got documents to be here'. They just chased us away like dogs... We just stayed in the bush until six in the morning" [1].
The protests and attacks against illegal foreign nationals have persisted for weeks, spreading across multiple South African towns [1, 2]. The mobs give undocumented migrants until June 30 to leave the country [1, 2].
The situation remains tense as displaced migrants wait for safety and governments coordinate evacuations. More foreign nationals are expected to flee South Africa as the deadline approaches.
