Africa: UN Tells South Africa to Respect Human Rights As Deadline Day Arrives

Protesters have said they want all immigrants out of the country because they are getting all the jobs (file photo).

By Anita Dangazele

UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric says the world body is closely monitoring South Africa's planned protests against undocumented migrants.

Amnesty International accuses March and March of encouraging the public to carry out unlawful "citizen's arrests" of suspected migrants.

The United Nations has stepped into South Africa's anti-immigration crisis, calling for calm as nationwide protests begin on Tuesday.

Stéphane Dujarric, chief spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, said the world body is closely watching events unfold.

"We are closely monitoring the situation in South Africa regarding the planned protests on June 30 concerning undocumented migrants," he said. He added that any actions must remain peaceful, and authorities should protect everyone, no matter their migration status.

Anti-immigration groups have set Tuesday as a deadline for undocumented foreign nationals to leave the country. Marches are planned in Durban, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and Emalahleni.

Amnesty International South Africa has accused the March and March movement of encouraging members of the public to carry out so-called "citizen's arrests" under the Criminal Procedure Act against people suspected of being undocumented.

Executive director Shenilla Mohamed said this crosses a line.

"Amnesty International supports the right to peaceful protest. But violence, intimidation, harassment and self-appointed 'enforcement' of immigration laws is unlawful and has no place in our society. History has shown us where this path leads and how quickly things can turn deadly," she said. Anyone taking the law into their own hands is breaking it, she said.

March and March leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma has hit back at the government over the crisis.

"The president doesn't understand the immigration crisis," she said at a recent briefing.

Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia has told officers to stay professional and neutral during the marches.

"There will be no tolerance for vigilantism, no tolerance for xenophobic or any type of violence, no tolerance for intimidation, and no tolerance for anyone, no matter who they are, who thinks they can decide who may or may not live in our communities," he said.

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