Hundreds march against xenophobia in South Africa

Hundreds marched across cities Saturday in South Africa, demanding an end to anti-immigrant violence, which has forced tens of thousands to flee the country.

‘‘We want people who are perpetuating violence and intimidation against foreign nationals to be held accountable,” migrant activist Thuli Nkadimeng said at a solidarity march in Johannesburg.

Protest organizers also want the government to stop the deportation and repatriation of migrants.

More than 60 civil society organizations, representing communities across South Africa and the continent, joined the marches held in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban to demand justice and the end to xenophobia.

“Enough is enough, we can’t be silent and watch as our fellow human beings are assaulted, attacked and their businesses looted. This should end now,” Phakamile Johnny told Anadolu at a march in Johannesburg.

Vigilante groups have been holding anti-immigrant marches across the country since April, demanding that undocumented migrants leave the country.

They have been going door-to-door asking African and Asian migrants to show them their passports and identity documents, an action the government has strongly condemned.

Refugees and migrants in South Africa have reported facing daily incidents of harassment, intimidation, extortion and forced closures of their businesses.

Vigilante groups accuse foreigners of taking jobs meant for citizens, crowding health facilities, schools, and allegedly committing crimes.

‘‘These problems of unemployment, housing, poor health care, crime and drug abuse are not caused by migrants but governance failures. We reject these claims linked to migrants,’’ Mametlwe Sebei, president of the South Africa General Workers Industry, told Anadolu.

Thousands of African migrants from Malawi, Mozambique, Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda and Zimbabwe have since been voluntarily repatriated by their countries.

South Africa’s Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said last week that the country had sent back 53,000 African migrants through voluntary repatriation and deportation processes aimed at cracking down on illegal immigrants.