South Africa has issued a 48-hour ultimatum for undocumented migrants to leave areas of Gauteng province, following a wave of xenophobic attacks that left at least three dead and dozens injured over the weekend. The violence, concentrated in townships around Johannesburg, has seen armed mobs targeting foreign-owned shops and homes, with witnesses describing coordinated assaults using machetes and other weapons.
“They came with machetes, breaking down doors and demanding we leave,” said a Zimbabwean shopkeeper in Tembisa, speaking on condition of anonymity. “We have lived here for 20 years, but now we are told to go back where we came from.” The government has deployed additional police to the affected areas, but community leaders accuse authorities of a slow response.
The Department of Home Affairs announced the ultimatum late Monday, stating that undocumented migrants must report to designated centres or face arrest and deportation. “This is not a solution but a containment measure,” said Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi. “We cannot allow lawlessness to destabilise our communities.”
The crisis marks the latest eruption of a long-simmering tension. South Africa, with an unemployment rate exceeding 32%, struggles with scarce resources and a strained public health system. Migrants from neighboring Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Mozambique are often scapegoated for economic woes. The country hosts an estimated 2-4 million undocumented migrants, though precise figures remain elusive.
President Cyril Ramaphosa condemned the attacks, calling for calm and promising prosecution of perpetrators. “Xenophobia will not be tolerated,” he said in a televised address. “But we must also address the root causes: poverty, inequality, and the perception that migrants are taking jobs meant for South Africans.”
Analysts see a dangerous pattern. “The government’s response is reactive, not proactive,” said Dr. Sipho Khumalo, a political analyst at the University of Johannesburg. “Ultimatums and police patrols do not resolve the undercurrent of xenophobia. Without meaningful dialogue and integration policies, we will see this cycle repeat.”
The violence has disrupted supply chains and forced the closure of hundreds of informal businesses. The South African National Taxi Council, a powerful black-owned transport group, issued a statement praising the government’s ultimatum, further inflaming tensions.
Internationally, the African Union called for restraint, and the United Nations expressed alarm. “No ultimatum can justify the use of violence,” said a UNHCR spokesperson. “We urge South Africa to protect all people, regardless of status.”
The clock is ticking for thousands living in fear. In Alexandra township, a group of Malawian families gathered their belongings. “We have nowhere to go,” said a woman holding a child. “But staying means facing the machetes.”
