Screenshot of the X post. Photo Source: X
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Claim: An X user shared a video claiming foreign nationals in Johannesburg have formed self-defence units to fight off South Africans.
Verdict: False. The video has been online since 2019, during a clash between the South African police and vendors in Johannesburg. It is unrelated to the recent xenophobic situation in South Africa.
Full Text
Earlier in June, anti-immigration groups in South Africa publicly declared June 30, 2026, as the deadline for all undocumented foreigners living in South Africa.
Although the country’s government has retracted such a declaration, public support for the deportation of undocumented foreigners persists.
In light of this, an X user, WesternPlus, shared a video (archived here) claiming that foreign nationals in Johannesburg have formed self-defence units to fight off South Africans.
In the video, angry protesters were seen rushing towards and throwing stones at police vans.
As of Monday, July 6, 2026, the post had generated over 11,000 likes, 87 comments, 50 reposts, and 17 bookmarks.
The comment section was filled with xenophobic remarks. @Themba5z2 wrote, “They’re here illegally but still fighting on instead of obeying the laws of our country and going home to where they belong.”
Another user, @LilsDjangs asserted, “If they’ve lived there for 30 years by now, they consider it to be home.”
Meanwhile, @HowellAdrainn stated, “Big Mistake.”
Due to the current hostilities between South Africans and foreign nationals, DUBAWA decided to verify the post.
Verification
DUBAWA conducted a Google Reverse Image Search on some of the clip’s keyframes. It linked us to similar videos shared on Facebook in 2019 (see here and here).
One of the Facebook posts reads, “The South African Police Service and Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department are under attack in Johannesburg CBD. What is this country getting to, and what’s happening to our police forces?”
The post further mentions that the video is an attack against the South African Police Service.
Further searches linked us to a Times Live report in August 2019. The outlet also shared videos and screenshots similar to the claimant’s post. It described the incident as a “street battle” between the police and enraged street vendors in Johannesburg, as police tracked down counterfeit goods in the city.
The outlet also uploaded a video report on YouTube.
Another news outlet, Sowetan, also reported a similar story in 2019. It stated that a violent crowd of street vendors pelted officers and armoured vehicles with bottles, bricks and petrol bombs in retaliation for the raids.
SA People News also published a similar incident in 2019.
Conclusion
The video was shared in 2019 and is unrelated to the recent xenophobic situation in South Africa. It is therefore false.
