Foreign nationals in Kleinmond and Johannesburg are sheltering from mobs or leaving the country amid rising anti-immigrant protests and threats. Some have spent nights in mountains while others wait at bus stations for transport home.
In Kleinmond, Mozambican Lado Amido fled his home after a crowd knocked on his door on 31 May and took his belongings. He spent two nights in the mountains before reaching the town hall, where about 100 immigrants from Malawi and Mozambique are now sheltering. Mozambique reported that five of its citizens were killed in attacks in Mossel Bay over the weekend. President Cyril Ramaphosa condemned the violence in Parliament on Tuesday while noting the need to address migration. In Johannesburg, 30-year-old James Alan from Malawi waited at Park Station on 4 June for a bus home. He said his mother had urged him to leave because of the protests. Other migrants at the station described similar fears linked to a 30 June deadline set by the group March and March. Ward councillor Grant Cohen said many of those in the Kleinmond town hall are in the country legally. He added that children there have been unable to attend school due to the intimidation.
