Zimbabweans flee South Africa en masse as June 30 xenophobic deadline looms

Zimbabwe has repatriated 3,624 of its nationals from South Africa by June 26, as fears of xenophobic violence intensify ahead of an unofficial June 30 deadline set by anti-immigrant groups. Hundreds of Zimbabweans, including women and babies, are sleeping rough outside the Cape Town consulate, abandoning years of accumulated possessions to flee. The Financial Times reported that vigilante groups have set June 30, 2026 as the deadline for undocumented migrants to leave or risk unspecified action. Humanitarian group Gift of the Givers expressed concern over more than 2,000 undocumented nationals spending the night at a Home Affairs repatriation centre in Epping, Cape Town. [News24.com, EWN, NewZimbabwe.com]