Security cluster ministers hold emergency talks as anti‑immigration protests escalate

Security ministers convened an emergency meeting at the Union Buildings to address rising anti‑immigration protests and to fast‑track a national action plan against xenophobia, officials said.

What happened

The Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) cluster held an emergency meeting at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Monday. All the security cluster ministers and senior officials responsible for national security were expected to attend, according to reporting by the Citizen.

Why ministers met

The meeting was called amid violent anti‑immigration protests that have erupted in recent months in various parts of the country, including KwaZulu‑Natal (KZN), Gauteng and the Eastern Cape. The talks aimed to confront tensions around illegal foreign nationals and to finalise a coordinated government response.

National action plan and engagements

According to the Citizen, the JCPS Ministers will convene an emergency to confront illegal foreigner tensions and fast‑track a national action plan against xenophobia. The same report quoted Deputy Government spokesperson William Baloyi saying ministers will finalise a framework on the national action plan to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.

Baloyi also said ministers would meet political parties and groups involved in mass protests to establish rules of engagement for demonstrations and to discuss government initiatives addressing illegal immigration, the Citizen reported.

Incidents in Durban and other hotspots

Recent unrest included a chaotic anti‑illegal immigration protest in the Durban CBD on May 6, 2026, where civil organisations, political parties and the March and March lobby group led demonstrations. Top KZN police and Home Affairs officials intervened after foreign nationals camped outside Durban Central police station, saying they had been left undocumented and vulnerable to attack.

The group outside the police station was reported to be made up largely of Congolese nationals alongside citizens from other African countries. The group spent two nights outside the station, claiming they had fled their homes after being targeted by anti‑migrant forces linked to the March and March movement, the Citizen reported.

Calls for urgent support

eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba urged national intervention, warning that foreign nationals sleeping outside the Home Affairs office could not be left on the streets without shelter or basic necessities. He noted that the city is under mounting pressure on municipal resources as a disaster‑prone area and continues to shelter flood victims in temporary emergency facilities.

What comes next

The emergency JCPS talks are intended to produce a clear framework and immediate engagements with protest organisers and political groups. Officials said the aim is to create rules of engagement for protests and to outline government approaches to the challenge of illegal immigration and social cohesion, as reported by the Citizen.

“Later in the day, the Ministers will meet Political Parties, various groups and associations who have been involved in mass protests and community marches against illegal foreign nationals across the country,” the Citizen quoted William Baloyi as saying.