Society News

Anti-migrant marches in Pretoria and Johannesburg: migrants told to shut shops, UN warns

Hundreds of people marched in Pretoria on Tuesday, April 28, toward the Union Buildings, the seat of South Africa's government, and another march followed in Johannesburg on Wednesday, April 29, against what protesters called high levels of illegal immigration. The Pretoria march was organised by the anti-migrant group March and March.

The Star in Kenya, carrying a BBC report, said Ghana's high commission urged its nationals to put personal safety first and encouraged shop owners to close, and the Nigerian Union in South Africa told members to stay indoors. South Africa has about 2.4 million migrants, just under 4% of the population, and unemployment of around 33%. On Freedom Day, President Cyril Ramaphosa condemned attacks on foreigners.

“Violence, vigilantism and all forms of incitement to hatred have no place in an inclusive, democratic society.” — UN Secretary-General António Guterres, via The Star

The Associated Press said anti-immigration groups want strict enforcement of immigration laws and mass deportations, and that shops shut over looting fears. The Namibian, in an analysis by Ferial Haffajee, profiled March and March leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, noted a court order limiting the rival group Operation Dudula, and said the marches were building toward a national shutdown on May 4.

How each outlet framed it

• The Star (BBC) — migrant communities taking precautions, with both marchers' and diplomats' voices.
• AP — a short report on the marchers' demands and the closed shops.
• The Namibian — a critical look at the movement's leaders, weak enforcement of the court order and the risk to South African firms across Africa.

What we don't know yet: crowd sizes and arrest numbers; none of the three reports gave a figure.