South African acting police minister issues warning ahead of anti-migrant deadline

South Africa's acting police minister, Firoz Cachalia, warned on Monday of decisive action against any lawbreakers as the government tightened security ahead of a June 30 deadline set by anti-immigration groups for undocumented foreigners to leave the country.

Cachalia and Defence Minister Angie Motshekga briefed the media in Johannesburg on Monday on the security cluster's readiness for next Tuesday.

The security cluster's plan to maintain peace and stability on June 30 involves multiple government departments and law enforcement agencies.

"To those contemplating acts of lawlessness, our message is clear and unequivocal — the full might of the law will be brought to bear to deal decisively with those who seek to undermine the safety and security of our people and our constitutional republic," he said.

Officials said current intelligence assessments did not point to any imminent threat of widespread unrest on June 30 but added that the National Defence Force had been placed on standby as a precautionary measure ahead of planned nationwide demonstrations on the day.

"Should the operational environment require additional capacity, the South African Police Service may request the support of the National Defence Force to augment existing policing capacity and ensure that sufficient operational resources are available," Cachalia said. "Minister Motshekga and I are satisfied that the necessary coordination mechanisms across the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster are in place to respond swiftly and effectively to any eventuality." Cachalia added.

Cachalia also said that he, together with the Deputy Ministers of Police, will meet with the Minister of Defence and the Premiers of all nine provinces in the coming week to reinforce effective coordination and monitoring among all relevant security role players, and to ensure adequate support ahead of the planned demonstrations.

March and March, an anti-immigration movement founded by former radio presenter Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma in 2025, popularize the June 30 date as the deadline for the government to declare a state of emergency on illegal immigration and to deport all undocumented migrants.

The protests have strained South Africa's diplomatic relations with several African countries and drawn condemnation from the United Nations, the African Union, and international human rights organizations. Nigeria, Ghana, Malawi, and Mozambique have all initiated the repatriation of their citizens from South Africa.

Officials gave no details on troop numbers or specific deployment locations.