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The South African government has commended citizens who participated in anti-migrant demonstrations across the country for protesting peacefully and within the bounds of the law.
Anti-migrant groups, which had issued a June 30 ultimatum for undocumented migrants to leave South Africa, staged protests in several parts of the country on Tuesday.
The protests took place after recent xenophobic attacks against black African migrants escalated tensions across South Africa.
Ahead of the protests, several African countries began repatriating their nationals over safety concerns.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the government thanked demonstrators for exercising their constitutional right to protest peacefully and praised stakeholders for helping to maintain public order.
“Government thanks all citizens who exercised their constitutional right to protest peacefully and responsibly during the migration-related demonstrations on Tuesday, 30 June 2026,” the statement said.
“The Government commends citizens, community leaders, organisers, civil society, religious leaders and law enforcement agencies for promoting peace, restraint and respect for the rule of law nationwide. While the demonstrations were largely peaceful, police responded to isolated incidents of looting and attempted looting.”
The government said individuals who exploited the protests to commit crimes would face the full force of the law, adding that police would investigate and prosecute those responsible.
It also reaffirmed its commitment to tackling “all forms of illegality associated with irregular migration,” including the enforcement of immigration and labour laws, the strengthening of border security, the improvement of migration management systems, and the addressing of policy and legislative gaps.
#ManagingMigration | Government thanks all citizens who exercised their constitutional right to protest peacefully and responsibly during the migration-related demonstrations on Tuesday, 30 June 2026. #GovZAUpdates #CapableState #MigrationSA pic.twitter.com/ZO8Gi3cEvE
— South African Government (@GovernmentZA) July 1, 2026
