June 30 showdown: South Africa braces for a massive nationwide anti-immigrant protests (see full details)

• Anti-immigration groups are planning nationwide protests across South Africa on June 30.

• The South African government has denied claims that it issued a deadline for foreigners to leave the country.

• Police are preparing deployments amid fears the demonstrations could trigger xenophobic violence.

• The planned protests come against the backdrop of South Africa's history of anti-foreigner attacks and recent tensions across Africa.

South Africa is on edge ahead of planned nationwide anti-immigration protests scheduled for June 30, with growing concerns that the demonstrations could escalate tensions between citizens and foreign nationals living in the country.

The planned protests, which have gained momentum on social media in recent weeks, are being championed by anti-immigration groups demanding stricter action against undocumented migrants and foreign nationals they accuse of contributing to crime, unemployment and pressure on public services.

As preparations for the demonstrations intensify, South African authorities have moved to distance themselves from viral claims that the government has issued a June 30 deadline for foreigners to leave the country.

The Department of Home Affairs has repeatedly stated that no such official deadline exists, describing circulating notices ordering undocumented migrants to leave by June 30 as false and misleading.

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Despite the clarification, the date has become a rallying point for anti-immigration activists, prompting fears of possible xenophobic attacks similar to those that have rocked South Africa in the past.

The South African Police Service has confirmed that it is preparing for the demonstrations, with public order policing units expected to be deployed in key locations to prevent violence and maintain law and order.

President Cyril Ramaphosa recently warned that only government officials are allowed to ask for papers. He also noted that blaming migrants for the country's economic challenges, saying foreigners should not be used as scapegoats for problems such as unemployment, poverty and rising living costs.

South Africa has experienced several waves of xenophobic violence over the years, with foreign-owned businesses looted and migrants attacked during outbreaks of unrest. Citizens from countries including Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi and Ethiopia have often been among those affected.

The issue has become increasingly sensitive across the continent. Earlier this month, hundreds of protesters in Ghana took to the streets of Accra demanding the expulsion of South Africans from the country in response to recurring xenophobic incidents in South Africa.

The demonstrations highlighted growing frustration among some Africans who believe their citizens are frequently targeted during anti-foreigner attacks in South Africa.

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In previous xenophobic crises, several African governments, including Nigeria, were forced to evacuate citizens from South Africa after attacks left people injured, displaced and, in some cases, killed.

While organisers of the June 30 protests insist their campaign is aimed at undocumented immigration rather than foreign nationals generally, rights groups and community organisations have expressed concern that the demonstrations could inflame anti-immigrant sentiment and lead to violence.

With just days to the planned protests, authorities are urging residents to remain calm and refrain from taking the law into their own hands as security agencies prepare for what could become one of the country's most closely watched demonstrations in recent years.