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 protest leaders on di eve of di marches in a bid to reduce tensions.

E advise dos wey dey plan to take part for di protest to do am without "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 too 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 without papers - wey be di bone of contention for di protesters.

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

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

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, on top accuse say dem loot one shop wey belong to foreigner.

Dem also arrest five pipo on top accuse say break inside 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 dem 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 siddon on top of 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" - one xenophobic slang dem dey use refer to African migrants from oda countries - 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 wan South Africans na say all of us be one. No mata wetin dey happun, no mata wetin go happun, Africa must remain Africa.

"Africa no fit be Africa without South Africa... without Malawi, without anywhere," e tell BBC, and add say: "no mata what, we gatz love each oda and stick togeda as Africa."

Authorities don give anti-migrant protests to march for Tuesday for Durban, Johannesburg and oda cities.

Dem warn organisers to ensure say e must not 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 dey organize 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 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.

Ahead of di deadline, thousands of migrants dey await processing for temporary camps for several weeks out of fear for dia safety.

Xenophobia for long na issue for South Africa, and don sometimes lead to violence.

According to di African Centre for Migration and Society (ACMS) xenophobic violence tracker Xenowatch, dem kill two pipo dis year.

For 2008, more dan 60 pipo die during one wave of rioting against non-South Africans.

Fotos of pipo wey gada for di marches