South Africa’s anti-immigrant protesters must hold peaceful demonstrations, warns Cyril Ramaphosa

In Durban, which has seen some of the biggest protests, white tents, mostly home to Malawians, are being dismantled as authorities scramble to clear transit camps.

Women in colorful sarongs sat on their property waiting in line to board a bus to Malawi.

A man said Nelson Mbewe had gone to South Africa in search of work to support his family in Malawi.

“But we’ve had challenges – they’re telling us to go back home because we don’t have the right documents,” he told the BBC.

“They say we are Makkwere” – a xenophobic slur used to refer to African immigrants from other countries – Mbewe said.

“It’s their country, so what should we do? That’s why we (reluctantly) accepted that we have to return home.”

Malawian Hassan Phiri, who is waiting to attend to the issue, had a message for the protesters.

“What I want to say to South Africans is that we are all one, no matter what happens, no matter what happens, Africa must continue to be Africa.

“Africa cannot be Africa without South Africa… without Malawi, anywhere,” he told the BBC.