Foreign Nationals Flee to Community Halls as Anti‑Migrant Violence Erupts on South Africa’s Coast

Hundreds of terrified foreign nationals have taken refuge in community halls along South Africa’s south coast, saying mobs of locals went door‑to‑door ordering them to leave the country.

Most of those seeking shelter are from Malawi and Mozambique. Many told AFP they fled their homes over the weekend, spending nights hiding in the mountains and bush before reaching safety in small‑town community centres. Mozambican national Thomas Vincent Baloyi, who has lived in South Africa for nearly 16 years, said groups of men confronted him at his home in Gansbaai, about 110 kilometres southeast of Cape Town. “They said, ‘you are a foreigner, you don’t belong in South Africa, so you must go’,” he recalled. Despite showing his legal documents, he said the mob “didn’t want to know” and chased him away “like a dog”. He spent the night hiding in the bush until dawn.

Weeks of scattered protests against undocumented migrants escalated violently over the weekend in Mossel Bay, where 55 informal homes were torched. South African police confirmed two Mozambican nationals were killed, though they did not directly link the deaths to an anti‑migrant march held hours earlier. Mozambique’s government, however, said five of its citizens were killed as a “direct consequence of the xenophobic attacks” and that around 300 people fled back across the border on Saturday, with more expected to follow.

This marks the first deadly outbreak linked to a new wave of anti‑migrant mobilisation by fringe groups accusing undocumented foreigners of crime and taking scarce jobs. One such group set a June 30 deadline for undocumented migrants to leave, prompting small bands of vigilantes armed with whips, sticks, clubs and even axes to patrol streets enforcing the ultimatum.

The crisis has triggered emergency evacuations. Ghana has already flown home 300 citizens, with more departures planned, while Nigeria has announced its own repatriation flights.

As fear spreads and foreign nationals continue to flee, South Africa faces renewed scrutiny over recurring waves of xenophobic violence a long‑standing issue that once again threatens to destabilise communities and strain regional relations.