A widely shared video circulating on social media has claimed to show undocumented foreign nationals clashing with South African police on 30 June 2026 during anti-immigrant unrest.

The footage was also accompanied by claims that migrants were refusing to leave the country, contributing to tensions during a period of heightened xenophobic sentiment in South Africa.However, fact-checking by Africa Check has found that these claims are misleading and incorrect.The video was not filmed on 30 June 2026, but earlier in June, specifically on 17 June, in the Sherwood area of Durban.The incident in question took place near a community hall that had been used as a temporary camp for Malawian migrants awaiting repatriation.

These individuals were part of efforts coordinated to return foreign nationals to their home country amid rising fears of xenophobic violence and overcrowded temporary accommodation facilities.

The footage shows a confrontation between police and migrants during attempts to manage movement between temporary holding sites or transport migrants for administrative processing, rather than a refusal to leave South Africa.Reports indicate that the situation escalated when police used rubber bullets and tear gas, while some migrants reportedly threw stones.Despite this, calm was restored later on the same day.

Importantly, the unrest occurred well before the nationwide anti-immigrant protests that took place on 30 June 2026, which had been promoted by certain groups as a so-called “deadline” for undocumented migrants to leave the country.These protests were not officially sanctioned by the government and contributed to a wave of misinformation online.

Africa Check concludes that the viral video has been misrepresented and does not show events from 30 June 2026 nor migrants refusing to leave South Africa.