Thousands of protesters took to the streets across South Africa on Tuesday as nationwide demonstrations against illegal immigration gathered momentum, prompting a heavy security deployment by authorities.

 

 

The marches, organised by anti-immigration groups, drew crowds in major cities including Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban, with demonstrators demanding stricter action against undocumented migrants.

 

Police and other security agencies were deployed across the country to maintain law and order amid fears of possible unrest.

 

President Cyril Ramaphosa also appealed for calm, urging that immigration laws be enforced through legal processes rather than vigilantism.

 

The protests follow a June 30 deadline issued by anti-immigration groups for undocumented foreign nationals to leave South Africa, a development that has heightened concerns among migrant communities and prompted some African countries to begin evacuating their citizens.