Hundreds of residents flooded the streets of Benoni in Ekurhuleni on Friday, marching from company to company with a blunt message: foreign workers must be dismissed by 30 June and replaced with South Africans.
Led by the All Truck Drivers Forum and Allied South Africa (ATDF-ASA), the demonstrators moved through industrial areas carrying sticks, singing and ululating as they demanded what they described as fair access to jobs for locals who have been “sidelined” for too long.
The marchers targeted several businesses, insisting on written commitments that foreign nationals on company payrolls would be removed and replaced with South African citizens.
For many in the crowd, the protest was framed not only as an economic demand but as a stand for dignity and inclusion in a local job market they believe has overlooked them.
First Stop: Versapak Co
The march began at packaging manufacturer Versapak Co on London Road in Apex.
“We need your confirmation that by the 29th all those foreigners will be gone, and these people (marchers) will be employed,” one of the march leaders, Oupa Sello, told two Versapak representatives who came out to address the demonstrators.
Behind him, the crowd chanted and danced as company officials attempted to explain their employment policies.
Versapak representatives told the marchers that the company employs about 600 people across three sites and that 98% of its workforce are South African citizens.
They added that prospective employees are required to have at least a Grade 12 qualification with good marks in mathematics, along with some experience in skills such as boilermaking and forklifting.
In an effort to ease tensions, Versapak committed to employing 35 new people to replace foreign workers currently on its books.
“We will do the due diligence – bring the CVs, let’s get interviews done, let’s see who is compatible or compliant to what the requirements are, and we will do a two- or three-month training period,” the company representative said.
An agreement was reached that the marchers would leave 70 CVs, from which 35 qualifying candidates would be selected.
However, after lengthy discussions among themselves, the protesters refused to hand over their CVs.
Sello told his fellow marchers:
This lady is playing games with us. You will leave your CV and still won’t get employed.
He then announced a different approach.
“We won’t leave our CVs here. We will create a database with all your names, qualifications and skills and then submit a list of people here on Monday,” he said.
The crowd cheered the decision, insisting they would control the process rather than rely on individual submissions.
Silence at Shield Chemicals SA
From Versapak, the marchers proceeded to Shield Chemicals SA, just a few blocks away.
This time, the response was markedly different.
They sang outside the gate, but no company officials came out to engage with them. Inside the high-walled premises, a few men could be seen watching through windows, but the gates remained shut.
After waiting at the main entrance for several minutes without success, the group tried another gate. Again, no formal engagement followed. An employee eventually informed them that the company did not hire any foreign nationals.
With no further interaction, the marchers moved on.
Tense Exchange at African Cargo Management
The mood shifted at African Cargo Management on Toronto Street, where security vehicles and TRT K9 Unit personnel with police dogs were already stationed inside the yard, appearing prepared for the protesters’ arrival.
ATDF-ASA has been engaging with African Cargo Management over employment concerns since October 2025.
Mathew Abraham, director of African Cargo Management, addressed the crowd and acknowledged that the company employed drivers from Zambia.
“We have made it known to you that there are drivers who are from Zambia who are employed by us. That is the point that you wanted us to look into. We have definitely taken the steps to look into it,” Abraham said.
He explained that after earlier engagements with ATDF-ASA, the company had requested CVs from local drivers, but these were not submitted.
As a result, African Cargo Management approached the Department of Employment and Labour and Innovative Staffing Solutions and was in the process of interviewing South African drivers.
“Our strategy at this point is when the trucks are in South Africa, they will be driven by South African drivers,” Abraham said.
The explanation did little to calm tensions.
“Leave labour aside. If we need labour, we will call labour ourselves,” Sello replied.
We are not asking; we are telling you. You’re going to run your interviews; we will be around. You’re going to run your tests; we will be around. You’re going to employ South Africans and make sure that there is zero percent migrants.
Abraham maintained his position, reiterating that when the company’s trucks operate in South Africa, they would be driven by South African drivers.
“If you want to operate in South Africa, chase away the foreigners,” Bongani Mthethwa responded from within the crowd.
Hope and Frustration
Among those marching was Xolani Khanyi, who said he felt encouraged by the turnout.
“When I see these marches taking place, I have faith that we will now get employed because if the foreigners will leave the country, then there will be opportunities,” Khanyi claimed.
“This is our year.”
However, Khanyi warned that if he saw no tangible changes, he would abstain from voting in the upcoming local elections.
Another march leader, Bafana Malaza, said the protest was about more than immediate job placements.
“We’re trying to dispel the myth that South Africans don’t want to work,” Malaza said.
He added that leaders were receiving “tipoffs” about companies employing foreign workers and would continue to act on that information.
Growing Tensions in Local Labour Disputes
Friday’s march reflects a broader trend of organised actions by groups demanding stricter enforcement of local employment preferences.
While some companies have pledged to review their employment practices, others have either denied hiring foreign nationals or declined to engage publicly.
As 30 June approaches — the deadline set by the marchers — both businesses and residents in Benoni are bracing for further developments.
For the hundreds who took to the streets, the message was unambiguous: they expect to see South Africans at the front of the employment queue.
Whether companies comply fully with their demands remains to be seen.
