The March and March movement has vowed that Tuesday’s nationwide anti-undocumented immigration protests will not be the last, with leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma declaring that demonstrations will continue every week for the next six months.
Addressing thousands of supporters in Durban, Ngobese-Zuma said the movement would give government half a year to remove undocumented migrants from the country.
“Every Thursday, for the next six months, we are marching until they are gone,” she told the crowd.
She added that the protests would continue until government “started listening and started acting”.
Demands for Border Overhaul
Central to March and March’s demands is increased funding and capacity for the Border Management Authority (BMA).
Ngobese-Zuma argued that inadequate resources and staffing at border posts were contributing to undocumented migration.
“We want our borders to be secure, whether you install a fence or a wall, but it’s time now that we protect ourselves,” she said.
She called for a significant expansion of border personnel, suggesting that South Africa needs around 10 000 officials stationed at its borders.
The movement’s demands come amid heightened national debate over immigration enforcement, border security and the state’s response to undocumented migration.
Peaceful Beginnings, Violent Escalation
While many of the protests began peacefully on Tuesday morning, several areas in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal saw escalating tensions as the day progressed.
Activist organisation Siyafana Sonke Campaign reported a “violent turn” by mid-afternoon, warning that marches in Johannesburg had spread across multiple neighbourhoods and were stretching police resources.
The most serious incidents were reported in Johannesburg’s inner city, particularly in Hillbrow, Yeoville and Berea.
Siyafana Sonke Campaign coordinator Zaki Mamdoo said there were reports of smashed windows, threats against residents and attempts to storm apartment blocks believed to house foreign nationals.
In Claim Street, a vehicle was set alight, and protesters allegedly burned belongings belonging to homeless people.
In Yeoville, a march to the local police station initially proceeded peacefully, with demonstrators demanding documentation checks. However, later reports indicated that several building windows were smashed and shops and cars along Raymond Road were targeted.
In Berea, protesters allegedly hurled stones at individuals filming the demonstrations and attempted to loot a bottle store.
Security Forces Deployed
By the afternoon, the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) had reportedly been deployed to Kliptown to assist in stabilising the situation and dispersing crowds.
In Alexandra, large groups gathered near Alex Mall and Pan Africa Mall amid allegations that foreign nationals were being harassed in Stjwetla. An injury was reported outside Alex Mall, with claims that police presence in some areas was insufficient.
In Daveyton, groups reportedly demanded documentation from migrants, while in Germiston, protesters allegedly conducted so-called “citizen’s arrests” of suspected undocumented immigrants before handing them over to police.
In Tembisa’s Winnie Mandela informal settlement, protesters reportedly forced foreigner-owned hawker businesses to close.
Cosmo City and Mamelodi were also affected, with reports of looting targeting businesses owned by Somali nationals.
Tensions in KwaZulu-Natal
Large-scale marches also took place in Durban and Pietermaritzburg, where police maintained a visible presence amid rising tensions.
At a refugee site on Che Guevara Road in Durban, more than 300 people had gathered by early afternoon. There were reports of attempts to intimidate individuals, prompting a significant police deployment.
In Briardene, protesters allegedly tried to break into a foreigner-owned shop and lit fires nearby, with further reports of harassment.
In Sydenham, police reportedly arrested a woman accused of assaulting officers who had intervened to prevent an attack on a foreign national.
Four suspects were also reportedly arrested for looting foreign-owned shops in the Madiba informal settlement.
A Prolonged Standoff Looming
With March and March pledging weekly demonstrations for the next six months, the prospect of sustained civic mobilisation raises concerns about further unrest.
While organisers maintain that their protests are aimed at pressuring government to act on undocumented migration, civil society groups have warned that targeting foreign nationals risks fuelling xenophobia and placing vulnerable communities at risk.
As law enforcement assesses the damage and prepares for the possibility of weekly protests, the coming months are likely to test government’s ability to balance immigration enforcement, constitutional rights and public order.
For now, Tuesday’s events have underscored the volatility of the issue — and signalled that tensions around immigration are far from subsiding.
