Uganda's Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Haruna Kasolo, said the government launched the programme as a precautionary measure in response to the security situation in South Africa.

"We decided to take a precautionary step," Kasolo said.

"This was as a result of vigilante-related protests organised by private citizens and with coordinated attacks against foreign nationals, especially of African origin," he added.

Government officials said more than 800 Ugandan nationals have registered for voluntary repatriation as Kampala continues its evacuation programme.

Uganda joins Ghana and Nigeria in offering voluntary repatriation to citizens wishing to leave South Africa amid concerns over the recent unrest targeting foreign nationals.

The returnee was among hundreds of Nigerians who arrived in Lagos on Tuesday aboard a government-backed evacuation flight organised as tensions continued in parts of South Africa.

Recalling the experience, the returnee said the violence and uncertainty changed everything.

"Life has not been easy. Coupled with what is happening in South Africa. I barely managed to escape with my life. I lost everything <...> There is nowhere like home. Once you have life, you have more hope to live on to," the returnee said.

The flight landed at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, where officials received the passengers before they underwent immigration processing.

Nigeria's Director of Migrants Affairs at the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), Catherine Imaji Udida, said efforts were continuing to help Nigerians who wished to leave South Africa.

"We are all hoping that it doesn't get worse than it is now <...> President Ahmed Bola Tinubu GCFR, has promised Nigerians that every Nigerian that wants to return will be brought back and we are working on it," she said.

While some returnees spoke of fear and loss, another Nigerian said the hostility did not reflect the views of all South Africans.

"I wouldn't say all the people feel like that. It's just a group of people that are really frustrated, so they have nowhere to turn their frustration to than other people," the returnee said.

According to local media , Tuesday's Air Peace charter flight brought back 271 Nigerians. Two earlier evacuation flights had returned another 328 people, while the Nigerian Union in South Africa said more than 1,000 Nigerians remained stranded.

The evacuations followed rising tensions ahead of a self-declared June 30 deadline announced by anti-immigration campaigners calling on undocumented migrants to leave South Africa. The South African government said it neither issued nor endorsed the deadline.

Several African countries have since prepared contingency plans or launched repatriation efforts as concerns over further unrest continued.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa condemned attacks on foreign nationals, saying criminal acts should be handled by law enforcement rather than vigilantes.

The United Nations also expressed concern over violence and intimidation targeting migrants.

The videos include images of shops said to belong to people from other African countries being vandalised and/or looted. There have also been videos of people said to be of other African nationalities being chased or beaten, school children demanding the removal of their foreign-born classmates, and the video of a Ghanaian national being questioned about his immigration status by a group of more than ten South Africans, including anti-immigration activist Victoria Africa. 

These xenophobic attacks, as they’re being called on digital and mainstream media, are not new to South Africa. As Africa’s most industrialised nation since the late 19th century, South Africa has always attracted people from different parts of the continent and beyond. It has, since the 1980s, been a refuge for Mozambicans fleeing the civil war in their country. And since the 1990s, it has attracted thousands of economic migrants from Zimbabwe seeking a better life.

Years of deprivation and unemployment, especially among Black South Africans, have, however, left many of them feeling less secure about their economic prospects today as migrants land jobs or start their own businesses in South Africa. 

The earliest reported cases of xenophobic attacks in South Africa, according to South African History Online, date back at least to 1994. According to the website, “In December 1994 and January 1995, armed youth gangs in the Alexandra Township outside of Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, destroyed the homes and property of suspected undocumented migrants and marched the individuals down to the local police station where they demanded that the foreigners be forcibly and immediately removed.” 

Three decades on, not much has changed when it comes to how some Black South Africans feel about their fellow Africans living and working in their country. Perhaps, the main difference today is the brazen manner in which some of them carry out their attacks or acts of intimidation against other African nationals as smartphone cameras capture the encounter. 

 Census data from Statistics South Africa indicates that there were 2.4 million international migrants in the country as of 2022. They represented a little over three percent of the country’s total population at the time of 62 million. Of the international migrant numbers, over 80 percent were from the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Out of that number, nearly 50 percent were from Zimbabwe followed by Mozambique with 18.7 percent. 

Though  international migrants make up a sliver of the populace, some of them have reportedly been involved in criminal activities, as South African journalist Kenneth Mokgatlhe told me. 

“With the social and economic issues which are obviously facing the country, most of them, especially crime, is being blamed on foreigners. This might be because some of the crimes, such as cash-in-transit, you find that it is committed largely by people from Zimbabwe. Most of the time when people are apprehended, you find that there are always foreign nationals, especially the Zimbabweans, and then you’ve got the drug trafficking, which is a huge issue at the moment,” he said. 

A commission of inquiry investigating the infiltration of criminal elements into the government heard allegations of drug cartels operating in South Africa. Kenneth says the drug trafficking ring is largely made up of foreign nationals from around the world. This discovery, he says, has heightened security concerns for many. “So that is why you are seeing this organisation coming forth because they have lost confidence in the political system.”

But as is the case with most protests, the underlying currents for the recent activities by the March and March movement are not only social and economic, but also political.

While ActionSA, founded by former Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba, explicitly calls for an overhaul of the country’s immigration system to “attract skilled migrants while clamping down on the influx of undocumented migrants through our porous borders,” the Patriotic Alliance, the party to which Victoria Africa is aligned, says on its website that it has “zero tolerance for illegal immigration”. 

Though the stances of these two parties are clear, Kenneth explains that the upcoming November 4 local government elections have made it difficult for some political parties to take a clear position on the matter.

“You have the ANC, which is defending this protest because they realise that they have got huge political and electoral implications, so they don’t want to denounce the ongoing marches. The only party that is against the ongoing marches is the EFF,” Kenneth says, adding that the ANC’s general secretary, however, “has vowed to support the ongoing protest, but on government platforms, that is where they’re trying to condemn it and to call for law and order.”

 The party positions aside, the lack of enforcement of labour regulations is another major contributory factor to the recent wave of anti-migrant protests.

The government’s seeming inaction when it comes to labour laws has made it possible for some companies to employ illegal immigrants desperate to eek out a living and exploit them by paying them less than the minimum wage. It has also given room to enterprising Somalis and Ethiopians, for instance, to operate local convenience stores known as spaza shops, even if they do not have the requisite documentation, a move Kenneth says is putting spaza shops operated by South Africans at a disadvantage. All these, he notes, create tension between South Africans and the migrants. 

“I think that it is the government which is causing this conflict,” Kenneth says. “What has happened between 1994 and now is that the ANC has collapsed the state and as such, people in the last election tried to vote the ANC out but they ultimately did not get one winner, so the ANC is still presiding over the government. But people know. They understand that the ANC has run down the government and the state does not have the capacity as it used to under the white rule of the national party which is known as the apartheid system. But because of the frustrations, then they get to blame the wrong person. I think that they should be blaming and pointing their finger at the government.”

In his first address to the nation since the countries started evacuating its citizens following the anti-immigration protests, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged the economic and immigration challenges facing his nation.  

“South Africa faces persistently high levels of unemployment, especially amongst our young people,” the president said. “Too many families are struggling to make ends meet. The cost of living is very high for many of the people of South Africa. Too many communities are experiencing poverty and inadequate access to opportunities. In such circumstances, frustration can easily be directed to those perceived to be competitors for jobs and resources.” 

With a 32.7 percent unemployment rate, 60 percent of which is people between the ages of 15 and 24, it is easy to understand why many aggrieved South Africans would buy into the idea of blaming immigrants for taking their jobs. And they are not the first to think so. With nationalism on the rise globally, immigration has become a flashpoint issue, bringing to the mainstream the belief across the US and Europe that immigrants compete with locals for jobs.  

While that may not always be the case, a recent video posted to X might explain why the South African case may not be based solely on perception but on reality.

In the video, Victoria Africa appeals to a business owner to employ “locals”. The businessman tells her that he employs locals but, “You know the struggle. Monday is a problem.” He is alluding to a widespread belief that the average South African worker would not show up for work for days once they’re paid. Victoria Africa does not dispute the fact.

Instead, she tells the business owner that, “We will take full accountability. We’ll give you the people. We’ll ensure that they comply. We’ll ensure that they come to work on time and we’re not going to interfere especially if a person comes and disrespects your business or does not follow protocol or does not want to comply. You’ve got every right to take action. And we cannot protect people that don’t want to come to work.” 

This begs the question, if the locals’ attitude to work is unsatisfactory to employers, is it fair to then blame or accuse immigrants of taking jobs meant for South Africans? The illegal immigrant’s fault in this case might be their willingness to take a job that would pay them something far less than what the average South African might be willing to take. And that is simply because they want to survive in a foreign land miles away from home. Also, businesses do not like to run at a loss. They all hope to make profits, no matter how small they are and as a result, they’ll only be interested in workers who will show up for work when they have to. 

As President Ramaphosa said in his Sunday evening address, “illegal immigration is not the cause of all our economic challenges. There are other causes.”

Unfortunately, that pronouncement has come a little too late, as the March and March movement and their supporters have already succeeded in turning the hearts of many South Africans against their fellow Africans.

Since Ghana airlifted some 300 of its citizens home, other African countries have followed suit. Malawi on Saturday, June 6, bused home 150 of its citizens from the Western Cape province. Mozambique has also shuttled over 500 of its nationals home from South Africa. Nigeria is expected to airlift between 2000 and 4000 of its citizens out of South Africa this week. Are there more countries planning to evacuate their citizens? 

For now, South Africa is back in the spotlight for a practice it has engaged in time and again for over three decades, which is anchored on the premise that immigrants, rather than the government’s failure to deliver on its promises, are responsible for the poverty and high unemployment rates they face. But immigration is a global phenomenon. Who’s to say citizens of another African country would not rise up in the days ahead against South Africans in their country or against other African nationals? 

As the push for a “borderless Africa” gains momentum, this latest episode from South Africa should serve as a teaching moment for leaders across the continent. Rwanda, Kenya, Ghana, and Benin, among others, have in recent years rolled out e-visa programs for Africans to encourage intra-continental travel. A laudable idea in principle, but when the number of visitors starts to soar, and immigration policies are tested, how many of them would survive because of their robust immigration policies and how many would have to hit the pause button? 

President Ramaphosa on Sunday listed five action points he hopes would address the issue of illegal migration: cracking down on violations of South Africa’s immigration, labour and other laws, preventing illegal entry, stamping out corruption in the immigration system, strengthening immigration policies, and engaging other African countries to “forge a broader response to migration challenges across our continent and regions”.

It would be great if the fifth point in particular is tabled at the next meeting of African leaders or their foreign ministers so that the dream of making travel across Africa easier and faster with e-visas can become true for every single country on the continent without citizens having to worry that their brothers and sisters from across the continent are coming for their jobs. 

But even as President Ramaphosa has promised to address the issue of the economy and immigration, there are still a few questions that still bug me. What happens later this month when the June 30 ultimatum issued by the protesters is up? How exactly will the South African government ensure the pressure group does not carry out whatever plans it has for that day? What security measures are in place or will be in place for legal migrants from other African nations living in South Africa? And will the South African government seek out and start deporting illegal immigrants before June 30?

The opinions and thoughts expressed in this article reflect only the author's views.

Nii Akrofi Smart-Abbey is an award-winning international journalist, writer, and host of the A55 Podcast. Nii Akrofi has worked with local and international media in  Ghana , Congo and the United States. He has contributed to news platforms like Zenger News, Africanews, W42ndST, and foreignpresscorrespondents.com.

“We need to deal with illegal migration,” he said. “We have seen how illegal immigration into our country can put pressure on our public services and undermine our efforts to create decent work for all.”

The president said the government was intensifying efforts to enforce immigration laws, including tougher action against employers who hire undocumented migrants, stronger border controls and measures to tackle corruption within the immigration system.

“We're cracking down on violations of immigration laws,” Ramaphosa said. “We are increasing our inspections of workplaces and prosecuting employers who violate our labour laws. We are strengthening border security , stamping out corruption in the immigration system and closing the loopholes in fragmented immigration laws.”

At the same time, he urged South Africans not to target migrants or take the law into their own hands.

“We must never give in to violence , to xenophobia, and to vigilantism,” he said.

The remarks come amid heightened debate over migration and public services in South Africa , where anti-immigrant sentiment has periodically flared in recent years.

According to Statistics South Africa and the Department of Home Affairs, foreign-born residents account for an estimated three to five percent of the country's population, with most migrants originating from neighbouring Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Lesotho.

“At the same time, we have experienced a high influx of undocumented immigrants,” Ramaphosa said. “This phenomenon has intersected with economic hardship and unemployment, contributing to tensions between some local communities and foreign nationals.”

He stressed that while many migrants had integrated into South African society and contributed positively, violence against foreign nationals could not be justified.

“We have strongly condemned those of our citizens who took the law into their own hands,” he added.

The remarks came during Ramaphosa’s state visit to Botswana, where both leaders pledged to strengthen cooperation on trade , investment and regional development.

President Boko called for deeper economic collaboration between the two neighbouring countries, saying there was still significant untapped potential in trade and investment.

South Africa and Botswana are holding the sixth session of the Botswana-South Africa Bi-National Commission, with several new agreements expected to be signed.

In the footage, the man being confronted appears visibly uncomfortable. The exchange is not a conversation but a confrontation that involves intimidation.

South Africa dismantled apartheid in 1994, a system that was based on profiling and exclusion. The country has a history that reflects the effects of discrimination and being told one does not belong.

For many years, Africans have criticised restrictive migration policies in Western countries, where migrants are often labelled as illegal or a burden. These actions have been widely challenged.

Astronaut Victor Glover has also observed that from space , there are no visible borders on Earth, only one planet and one people.

If laws are being broken by immigrants, legal systems exist to address such issues. However, when individuals confront and intimidate others in public spaces, it raises concerns about harassment and the limits of civilian action.

According to Gauteng police spokesperson Colonel Mavela Masondo, preliminary investigations indicate that the driver was attacked by a man and a woman during the trip. His hijacked vehicle and body were later discovered in Atteridgeville on the same day.

Arrest and investigation

Gauteng police have arrested a woman in connection with the case. She is expected to appear before the Atteridgeville Magistrate’s Court on February 16, 2026, facing charges of murder and carjacking.

Police say investigations are ongoing and more arrests are expected.

Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni has assigned a senior detective to confirm details of the incident and ensure those responsible are brought to justice .

Video circulation

A dash cam video circulating on social media appears to show the assault inside the vehicle. The South African Police Service (SAPS) has strongly condemned the sharing of the footage.

“The police strongly condemn the circulation of the video that depicts what appears to be a gruesome murder of the victim,” said Masondo.

Authorities have urged the public not to share, forward or repost the video.

Satlat was reportedly preparing to graduate next month and had plans to relocate to Canada for further studies.

His death has sparked outrage, particularly among Nigerians, and revived concerns about the safety of foreign nationals working in South Africa’s gig economy .

In a statement, ActionSA said a “Nigerian suspect identified as being involved in drug trafficking” was shot during the operation. The party said drug syndicates had terrorised communities and vowed to continue supporting “decisive and lawful measures” to combat crime.

However, the Consulate General of Nigeria in Johannesburg strongly condemned the killing, describing it as deeply troubling and calling for justice .

“The unfortunate incident has raised questions over the safety of Nigerians and other foreigners in South Africa,” the consulate said in a statement. It also warned against what it described as attempts to label Nigerians as criminals.

The consulate stressed that no one should take the law into their own hands and called for due process. “No matter what the allegations are, there are processes and steps to justice. All should be presumed innocent and granted a fair hearing in a court of law,” it said.

South African authorities have launched investigations into the incident. Nigerian officials said they had held meetings with local authorities and had been assured that those responsible would be brought to justice.

The shooting has revived painful memories of past xenophobic violence in South Africa, where foreign nationals, particularly from other African countries, have at times been targeted during unrest linked to crime, unemployment and social tensions.

Civil society groups have long warned that political rhetoric linking foreign nationals to crime can inflame tensions and deepen divisions in communities already struggling with poverty and insecurity.

ActionSA has defended its anti-crime stance, saying safety and law enforcement are central to its 10-point plan for Ekurhuleni, which includes targeting drug syndicates and strengthening policing efforts.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian consulate has urged its nationals to remain calm and law-abiding as investigations continue. It also extended condolences to Uzor’s family.

According to the graphic:

While these figures illustrate the incredible size of modern megacities, recent population data shows that the actual numbers are often even larger..

The global significance of megacities

Megacities are more than just population centres. They are hubs of economic power, cultural exchange, and innovation. Yet, their rapid expansion also creates pressing challenges:

“One such scholar is the renowned philosopher and social theorist Joseph-Achille Mbembe… he's been in South Africa for over 20 years, and even at that level, he still struggles with visa issues. Something as archaic as visa issues,” she told host Ismail Akwei.

“There is one particular scholar, she is at UCT [University of Cape Town]. She said the discrimination is so subtle that you even start to question your own sanity and asking what is exactly happening? But she said that what she has learned over time is not to ruffle any feathers but to take on an extra working load. So when everybody else is going home, it's the weekend, they're relaxing, you'll find the foreign academics, they're working overtime. They are teaching extra classes. They are working out of their minds to publish more to contribute so that they don't feel like a burden. 

“It's almost like being a child that has been adopted into a family but never accepted, and so you're made to feel that you need to work for the grace of being in this household. You need to prove that you are thankful,” she added.

Dr Simba said the research team had to hire a psychologist as support for the project because of the emotions that came from just talking about these issues. 

Watch the attached video for the full interview with Dr Precious Simba.

In general, the recommended daily intake can range from 2,100 to 4,800 calories for adult men and from 1,750 to 3,400 calories for women. In food terms, that ranges from the equivalent of 35 McDonald's chicken nuggets per day at the low end to 96 at the top end. 

In 2022, the average American consumed the calorie equivalent of 10.6 McNuggets a day. In contrast, the average person in Burundi, Somalia, Lesotho, and Yemen consumed only around five nuggets' worth of calories each day. 

Over time, the amount of food available to most people, and therefore the amount they eat, has been rising. This is a result of poverty reduction as well as improvements in the way we produce and transport food. In most cases, this is a benefit, although in some wealthy countries, a surplus of food has led to serious health problems.

The inequality across the globe is not a recent trend, but a long-term challenge. According to the FAO's 2023 State of Food Security and Nutrition report , over 3.1 billion people, which is nearly 40% of the global population, cannot afford a healthy diet. Even more concerning is that this number has risen by 134 million since 2019, driven by overlapping crises: COVID-19 pandemic fallout, climate-induced harvest failures, inflation, and economic slowdowns.

These figures expose a multi-layered nutritional inequality, where calories are not just unequally distributed, but also increasingly inaccessible for the low-income group. A 2023 World Bank analysis revealed that in some low-income countries, households allocate up to 60% of their income to food.  

However, progress in some parts of the world has been rapid. The chart comparing calorie intake in 1980 vs. 2022 shows Vietnam and Ghana making significant gains, with Ghana's per-person calorie consumption more than doubling. This success is rooted in long-term agricultural investment, better food distribution, and poverty reduction strategies. Ghana, for example, has expanded public agricultural extension services and promoted farmer cooperatives.

Kenya saw a 10.2% decrease in average calorie intake, despite GDP growth and urbanisation. This reflects deeper structural problems, including rising food import dependency, regional inequality, and stagnant rural incomes. According to the report , rural communities have seen stagnation in dietary diversity and food availability.

Meanwhile, another graph shows China's dramatic rise in calorie intake over the past four decades, which closely aligns with its GDP growth. In the 1980s, China implemented market-oriented agricultural reforms, lifting millions out of hunger. Today, China also strategically uses international trade agreements and grain reserves to stabilise food prices. Other countries, including Mali, which has suffered from widespread violent conflict, and Indonesia, have seen less dramatic progress. Today, Indonesia is rolling out the world’s most ambitious free meals programme to close its nutritional gap. More than 80 million people are expected to benefit by 2029.

While undernutrition remains a critical issue in parts of the Global South, a different concern arises in high-income countries: overnutrition and obesity. The WHO warns that the worldwide prevalence of obesity more than doubled between 1990 and 2022. In the UK, for example, over one-third of adults are obese, driven in part by ultra-processed diets.

However, despite the concerns of unhealthy overeating, the biggest problem currently facing the world remains undernourishment. The success stories of the past thirty years demonstrate that it is a problem that can be conquered, but the failures indicate that its demise is far from guaranteed.

*Obviously consuming all your calories in the form of chicken nuggets does not represent a healthy diet. McDonald’s nuggets are used only as an example, other brands have similar nutritional profiles.