Fear, frustration and rising economic pressure are fuelling fresh anti-immigration protests in South Africa, with demonstrators in Cape Town warning foreign nationals to leave amid growing nationwide tensions.

Dozens of anti-immigration protesters took to the streets of Cape Town on Saturday, marching through the Somali-populated suburb of Bellville as tensions over migration continue to grow across South Africa, cbinews.tv reports.

Videos from the protest showed demonstrators carrying sticks while chanting through the streets, as police officers maintained a heavy presence to keep protesters and residents apart and prevent clashes.

Leading the protest, March and March leader Ngobese Zuma declared: “These streets belong to us. This is our country and we're not going to surrender it to criminals.”

Several businesses along the protest route reportedly shut their doors ahead of the march, reflecting fears of possible unrest. The demonstration comes amid increasing friction between the anti-immigration movement known as “March and March” and migrant communities living in different parts of South Africa.

The protesters largely directed their anger towards African migrants from countries such as Somalia, Ethiopia, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zimbabwe and Malawi. Demonstrators accused foreign nationals of taking jobs, contributing to crime and putting pressure on already stretched public services.

One protester, identified as Alvaro Sandile, insisted the movement was not driven by hatred.

“We are marching in defence of our country,” he said. “We do not hate foreigners. We want law and order in our country. We want to do away with crime, drugs and prostitution.”

Alvaro also issued a warning to undocumented migrants, urging them to leave before an alleged June 30 deadline. “We are the peaceful ones, warning you peacefully. Go before the crowd gets out of hand,” he said.

Some demonstrators argued that economic opportunities, especially in small businesses such as salons and tuck shops, should be reserved for South African citizens rather than foreign nationals.

However, migrants living in Cape Town said they were being unfairly blamed for deeper economic and social problems. One immigrant told cbinews.tv that frustration over unemployment and hardship was being redirected towards vulnerable communities instead of government authorities.

“They shift the blame to the vulnerable,” the migrant said. “Yes, there are some foreigners committing crimes, but it’s not all of them.”

Congolese migrant Tresor Kabongo also appealed for unity among Africans, saying people should not turn against one another. “In any country in the world, there is always a foreigner somewhere in the country,” he said.

Meanwhile, several civic organisations including Kopanang Africa Against Xenophobia, Chronicles of Refugees and Immigrants, and Africa Unite condemned the demonstrations in a joint statement. The groups warned that anti-immigrant rhetoric was creating fear within communities and even in schools.

The organisations also criticised inefficiencies within South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs, saying delays in processing documentation for both citizens and migrants had worsened misinformation and fuelled tensions nationwide.

#SouthAfrica #CapeTown #ImmigrationCrisis #Xenophobia #AfricaNews #Bellville #Migration #AntiImmigration #CBINews #AfricanUnity