Amid growing xenophobic violence in Durban, refugees are terrified as a June 30 deadline looms, exposing the urgent need to address who is fuelling this fear-driven movement.

On a dirty pavement outside Durban's Home Affairs Refugee Reception Centre, a huddle of terrified people is waiting for June 30, an ominous deadline that anti-illegal immigration groups have set for undocumented foreigners to leave South Africa.

The threat now hangs over the city after more than a week of xenophobic violence, public assaults and inflamed social media mobilisation.

Beyond the fear and chaos, the question more people are asking is: who is organising and financing a movement that analysts warn could push South Africa towards another July 2021?

The traumatised group of about 60 people encamped outside the Home Affairs centre on Che Guevara Road over the weekend cuts a stark contrast to the strutting bravado of the aggressive anti-foreigner demonstrators who terrorised parts of Durban.

Both groups represent the state's failure to deal with xenophobia.

The Che Guevara Road refugees say they are legal foreigners with papers to prove it, but are too scared to leave the makeshift roadside camp because of fears that thugs marauding through the city will attack them.

In the past week, their migratory story played out as they sought refuge at the Durban Central Police station, the Diakonia Centre (an inner-city hub for...