The anti‑immigration group March and March set September 30 as a hard deadline for undocumented migrants to leave the country, igniting protests that have already left more than 30 people dead in past outbreaks.
Bishop Raphael Bahebwa, a 26‑year‑old Congolese refugee, told Al Jazeera he now hides from mobs that threaten to kill him for speaking out.
Kafuti Muyumba, who runs a small shop in Johannesburg, said that since the new deadline many refugees are unwilling to return to their businesses or homes.
Since June 14, the government has processed 86,596 deportations, the majority Malawian, then Zimbabwean and Mozambican, with 90% crossing illegally and 95% outside official ports.
The Ministry will convene a policy review on November 12, ahead of the local elections on November 4, while police warn that any unlicensed deportation by private groups will be prosecuted.