⚠   URGENT SAFETY ALERT — Issued 26 June 2026   ⚠

Collen Makumbirofa|Makumbirofa Farms|26 June 2026

Right now, South Africa is at war with itself. Anti-immigrant groups — swollen with hatred and emboldened by silence — have set their sights on every foreigner within reach. It does not matter whether you are documented or undocumented. It does not matter how long you have lived here, how much you have contributed, or how many South Africans call you a neighbour and a friend. In this climate of manufactured rage, you can be killed. This is the reality that must be stated plainly, without diplomatic softening, because lives depend on people hearing it clearly.

6Malawians murderedMossel Bay

5Mozambicans killedKwaZulu-Natal

These are not statistics from a distant conflict. These are our brothers. These are people who left their families behind, crossed borders legally and in good faith, and were murdered for the crime of being African in the wrong province. Eleven lives extinguished. Eleven sets of parents, siblings, and children who will never see their loved ones again. If that does not move us to act, what will?

“Whether you are a truck driver or a visitor — your life and safety is not guaranteed in South Africa at this moment.”

We are therefore making this appeal with everything we have: refrain from entering South Africa. If you are a truck driver whose route passes through this country, divert or delay. If you are a visitor planning to come for business, for family, for any reason — postpone for at least two weeks. This is not an overreaction. The groups organising this violence have publicly declared 30 June as their so-called day of reckoning. They claim their target is undocumented immigrants — but do not be deceived by that framing. When mobs move through communities fuelled by hatred, they do not stop to check papers. Documented or not, legal resident or visitor, long-settled or newly arrived — every foreign face becomes a target. The violence they are planning will fall on everybody. History has proven this truth again and again, and we refuse to pretend otherwise while lives hang in the balance.

Immediate Safety Guidance

If You Are Already in South Africa

• Stay away from malls and all public gatherings — these are primary targets.
• Do not speak your home language loudly in public or on your phone where you may be overheard.
• Stock bulk basic necessities now — do not wait until 30 June is upon you.
• Contact family and friends outside the country. Let them know your exact location.
• If you have the means to leave, leave immediately. Do not delay for work, for belongings, or for anything that can be replaced.
• If you are stuck with no money or no transport, reach out to us. We will do everything in our power to help.

We are already overwhelmed. There is a large number of foreign nationals currently trapped inside South Africa — people who desperately want to leave but cannot. Many are stranded in remote areas, cut off from transport routes. Many have no money. They came here in hope and they are being held captive by fear and circumstance. We do not yet know how to reach all of them. But we are trying. And we are asking those of you outside the country: do not add to their number. Do not place yourself in a situation where you too need to be rescued.

The South African government has not endorsed this violence — let that be said clearly. But we carry a sober fear: that when the storm breaks on 30 June, the police and security forces may simply be overwhelmed by the scale and coordination of the attacks. Institutions are not infallible. Official protection is not guaranteed. Your first and most powerful act of self-preservation is to not be there.

“Support your friends and relatives to immediately leave South Africa. Time is not on our side.”

To those of you reading this in Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, the DRC, and across the continent: pick up your phone. Call your cousin, your nephew, your old friend. Ask them where they are and help them get out. Wire money if you can. Share this warning until it reaches every person who needs it. We will not stand neutral while our brothers are being murdered. We are already planning rescue operations, and we will attempt them regardless of the risk to ourselves — but every person who leaves before the violence erupts is a life we do not have to risk our own to save.

“Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.”

Proverbs 24:11 (ESV)

Pray for us. Pray for every foreign national still inside this country as 30 June approaches. Pray that the evil plans being laid to spill blood are frustrated — that they collapse under their own hatred before they can be carried out. We go into the days ahead with faith, but also with clear eyes. We know what we may be walking into. We ask only that you hold us up in prayer, and that you do your part by staying safe, by spreading this warning, and by supporting anyone you know to get out while the way is still open.

We will not be silent. We will not look away. And we ask the same of you.