Remigration: The Zulu Method

South Africa has become an unexpected laboratory for mass deportation policies as President Cyril Ramaphosa deploys thousands of police officers to manage surging anti-immigration protests sweeping the nation’s major cities.

According to Causeur, the South African government has maintained a deployment of 3,000 police officers to monitor weekly demonstrations against illegal immigration that have gripped the country since March. The unrest was triggered when a Nigerian citizen was crowned “King of the Eastern Cape,” an eastern province of South Africa. Authorities condemned the coronation, but the incident sparked violent anti-migrant riots in East London, Durban, Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Cape Town.

The violence has proven deadly. Illegal migrants have been forcibly removed from settlements using machetes, and several have been killed. In Pietermaritzburg, a Malawian man was stoned to death by angry crowds, as Causeur reports.

Five Million Illegal Migrants in a Nation Struggling with Unemployment

South Africa, a country of 65 million inhabitants, is estimated to host approximately 5 million illegal migrants. Most arrive from Zimbabwe, Malawi, Ghana, Nigeria, and Mozambique, typically settling in townships or impoverished urban centers. In a nation where 46 percent of young adults aged 15 to 34 are officially unemployed, these migrants face accusations of stealing jobs and driving down wages.

Residents also allege that illegal migrants fraudulently obtain social housing through corrupt officials or squat in abandoned buildings where they engage in various illicit activities.

The Dudula Movement Forces Government Action

The anti-illegal immigration movement known as Dudula—which means “expel” in Zulu—was born in 2008 but has recently compelled President Ramaphosa to abandon his previous restraint on the issue. With national elections approaching and the ruling African National Congress (ANC) anxious about its electoral performance, Ramaphosa has moved beyond merely condemning the alleged violence and xenophobia of protesters.

The president has announced concrete measures including strengthened border controls, anti-corruption campaigns within migration services, and stricter oversight of businesses suspected of exploiting migrants as labor mules. Simultaneously, countries of origin have arranged charter flights to repatriate their nationals.

Over 100,000 Expelled in Two Years

South Africa has expelled more than 100,000 illegal migrants over the past two years, transforming the so-called “rainbow nation” into what Causeur describes as a flagship country for “remigration.” The scale and speed of these deportations mark a dramatic shift in immigration enforcement for a nation long celebrated for its multicultural ideals but now grappling with economic distress and popular anger over illegal immigration.

With information from Causeur