Anti-immigration protests start for South Africa as deadline for illegal migrants to comot take effect

Anti-migrant protests don start for South Africa as di June 30 deadline wey pressure group March and March give undocumented migrants to comot for di kontri take effect today.

Demonstrators gada for several locations on Tuesday under heavy security presence, as authorities dey closely monitor di situation amid fears say di marches fit trigger violence.

Police and oda security agencies don dey deployed across key provinces, including Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and di Western Cape, to maintain law and order and prevent repeat of previous xenophobic attacks.

Di South African govment don distance diasef from di ultimatum, and insist say immigration enforcement na di responsibility of state authorities.

President Cyril Ramaphosa bin meet wit some of di protests leaders on di eve of di marches to reduce tensions.

E advise dose wey dey plan to take part for di protests to do am witout "intimidation, threats or ultimatums".

Ramaphosa bin don repeatedly warn demonstrators to act peacefully and responsibly, as e also accept di need for immigration reforms.

"Some foreign nationals wey dey live for South Africa dey here lawfully," e remind citizens for im weekly newsletter.

"Dem dey work, study, raise families, invest for our economy and contribute positively to our society. Dem also dey entitled to di protection of our laws and our constitution.

"Di right to protest and freedom of expression no allow pipo to threaten or intimidate odas, or to engage in acts of vandalism or violence," e write.

More dan three million documented foreign nationals dey for South Africa, according to official figures.

Di statistics no add di record of many more migrants dem believe say dey di kontri witout papers - wey be di bone of contention for di protesters.

Police tok say dem don arrest about 50,000 migrants since January ontop accuse say dem dey di kontri illegally.

Many pipo don already comot for South Africa to escape violence and intimidation. South African police say 25,000 don dey repatriated so far. Most of dem come from oda African kontris.

Johannesburg, wia dem dey plan one of di protests dey unusually quiet.

All di shops for di areas wia marchers go gada dey closed, and police visibility high on di city major streets.

Police say dem don arrest five pipo for Johannesburg biggest township, Soweto, ontop accuse say dem loot one shop wey belong to foreigner.

Dem also arrest five pipo ontop accuse say dem break into one tuck shop for Hammarsdale for KwaZulu-Natal province.

For Durban, wey don see some of di biggest protests, dem don scata di white tents wey dey house mostly Malawians as authorities dey race to clear di transit camp.

Many businesses for central Durban, di main city for di province, dey locked.

Dem don repatriate about 7,000 Malawians, Malawian media report.

Women in colourful sarongs sidon ontop dia belongings as dem queue to board a bus home to Malawi.

One man, Nelson Mbewe, say im bin go South Africa in search of employment to support im family for Malawi.

"But we don face challenges - dem say make we go back home bicos we no get di right documents," e tell BBC.

"Dem say we be Makwerekwere" - xenophobic slang wey dem dey use refer to African migrants from oda kontris - Mbewe tok.

"Na dia kontri, wetin we fit do? Dat na why we don accept to just to [unwillingly] go back home."

Hassan Phiri, one Malawian wey still dey wait for processing, get message for di protesters.

"All I want tell South Africans be say all of us be one. No mata wetin dey happun, no mata wetin go happun, Africa gatz remain Africa.

"Africa no fit be Africa witout South Africa... witout Malawi, witout anywia," e tell BBC, and add say: "no mata what, we gatz love each oda and stick togeda as Africa."

Authorities warn organisers of di protests to ensure say e no lead to violence, but say dem dey prepared for any potential disruption.

Di police say traditional weapons no dey allowed. Dis fit lead to tension between protesters and di police becos many of di protesters na ethnic Zulus, wey dey always take dia shields, whips and sticks, anytime dem dey demonstrate.

According to di govment, more dan 12,000 immigrants don dey deported or repatriated since one wave of protests start earlier dis year.

Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria and Zimbabwe don organise repatriations by air or bus ova di last few weeks - wit about 3,500 foreigners wey don volunteer to leave.

South African authorities claim say more dan 500 Nigerians wey repatriated no get correct papers, claim wey Nigeria disagree wit.

One Soweto resident tell BBC say protesters only want make foreigners "follow" di laws of South Africa.

She say she no fear say di march for Johannesburg go turn violent becos of di heavy presence of police.

Anoda protester, wey be part of anti-migrant group Operation Dudula, tok say dem go "push di police to do dia" job if undocumented migrants no leave South Africa.

Nigeria fly out 269 of dia citizens on di eve of di protests, wey bring to around 600 di number of dia nationals dem don evacuate so far.

More evacuations dey expected to take place in di coming days.

Fotos of pipo wey gada for di protests