Organised vigilante groups escalate anti-migrant violence in South Africa ahead of 2026 elections

Since late March 2026, organised anti-migrant movements in South Africa have escalated into deadly violence, resulting in at least seven deaths and the displacement of thousands. The unrest, which has intensified ahead of the 2026 local elections, is driven by high unemployment and inequality, with conservative political parties reportedly supporting the xenophobic rhetoric of the groups involved.

Two primary vigilante organisations, Operation Dudula and March and March, have evolved beyond protests into militias that act as de facto immigration enforcement. Operation Dudula, founded by Nhlanhla "Lux" Dlamini and registered as a political party in 2023, operates alongside March and March, which was established in 2025 by Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma. These groups are united in the belief that undocumented immigration is leading to unemployment and insecurity, a narrative that has been amplified by conservative parties in the run-up to the polls.

Reports from Human Rights Watch and the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights detail how these groups are physically blocking migrants from accessing public health facilities and schools. Despite having valid asylum or immigration documents, many individuals are prevented from entering these institutions, with pregnant women and children facing significant obstacles to essential services. The African Commission has explicitly condemned this practice, calling on the South African government to dismantle these vigilante groups and halt their illegal activities.

The groups are conducting illegal document checks, assaulting migrants, and looting businesses across major cities including Durban, Pretoria, and Johannesburg. Civilians are stopping people in the streets to demand identification, and those unable to produce documents face threats, assault, or forced expulsion from their communities. Mpho Makhubela of Lawyers for Human Rights describes these actions as organised intimidation, noting that victims often do not report the incidents due to a lack of faith in state protection.

South African courts utilise the term "xeno-racism" to describe this hostility, which is based on both nationality and race. The University of Witwatersrand's Xenowatch database has documented nearly 700 deaths, over 128,000 displaced people, and 5,600 looted businesses due to xenophobic discrimination since 1994. Historically, very few perpetrators of such violence have been arrested or convicted, with those who are often released without charges, contributing to a culture of impunity.

Analysts attribute the surge in violence to a combination of extreme inequality, an unemployment rate above 30 per cent, and political opportunism. In a society where frustration is growing, migrants are frequently targeted as a convenient scapegoat for economic hardship, while the legacy of apartheid continues to play a role in pitting communities against one another over limited resources.