Mohale FM Police officers have been deployed across South Africa because of fears that anti-immigration protests could turn violent as South African President Cyril Ramaphosa urged demonstrators to refrain from “intimidation, threats or ultimatums”.
The protests mark an unofficial deadline set by campaigners for all undocumented foreigners to leave the country.
Many have already fled to escape violence and intimidation. South African police say 25,000 have been repatriated so far. Most are from other African countries.
Johannesburg, where one of the protests is taking place, is unusually quiet. Shops in the city centre are closed, while police visibility is high on major streets.
Police said that five people were arrested in Johannesburg’s biggest township, Soweto, for allegedly looting a foreign-owned shop. Many businesses in central Durban, the main city in the province, are also shut.
Meanwhile, Ramaphosa met some of the protest leaders yesterday in a bid to defuse tensions. He has repeatedly warned demonstrators to act peacefully, while also accepting the need for immigration reforms.
