South Africa: We Will Do Better, Ramaphosa Promises, While Another Anti-Foreigner Protest Looms

President Cyril Ramaphosa responded to rising anti-foreigner protests in an address to the nation on Sunday, admitting that the government would improve its migration strategies and clamp down on those illegally entering the country. The President's address came as hundreds of foreigners, both documented and undocumented, left the country on repatriation flights and buses organised by their home countries.

Foreigners continued to leave South Africa over the weekend, while mounting xenophobic tensions led to President Cyril Ramaphosa addressing the nation on Sunday, 7 June 2026. He announced plans to tighten the country's borders and clamp down on undocumented foreign nationals.

On Saturday and Sunday, chartered flights carried Ghanaians wishing to leave South Africa to their home country.

This comes as anti-foreigner marches continued to take place around South Africa, the most recent on Saturday in Daveyton, Gauteng, where hundreds of people demanded that foreigners depart the country by 30 June.

In the Western Cape, a statement released over the weekend by Overstrand municipal manager Dean O'Neill said three buses left from the Kleinmond Town Hall on Friday to take undocumented foreign nationals to the Lindela Repatriation Centre. Two buses departed from Gansbaai to take undocumented foreigners to the same facility.

In Hermanus, O'Neill said 38 people displaced by anti-foreigner protests were living on the municipal farm. He said that a bus sent by the Mozambican Embassy picked up citizens from that country who wished to depart.

O'Neill said municipal facilities would not be reopened to accommodate people because the venues would now be prepared for the voters' registration weekend...

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