June 30 shutdown: March and March defies government calls for calm

Tensions over undocumented migration escalated this week after anti-migrant group March and March confirmed plans for a national shutdown on June 30, even as government ministers urged restraint during Africa Day events on May 25.

Calls for calm at Africa Day gatherings

Speaking at official Africa Day celebrations at the Moruleng Stadium in the North West, Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie rejected claims that South Africans are inherently xenophobic and said citizens have a right to protest against illegal immigration.

“South Africans are not xenophobic. There is a false allegation that South Africans are xenophobic… There can be no African unity if the leaders send their people to come and take the jobs of our young people. African leaders must look after their own people first,” McKenzie said.

Government ministers meet as protests rise

The Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) ministers convened an urgent meeting at the Union Buildings in Tshwane to discuss rising protests over illegal immigration. The ministers were expected to finalise a framework on a national action plan to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.

Following the meeting, the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development urged those taking the law into their own hands to allow government to lead document verification processes and warned about the difficulty of determining who is a foreign national. She also said there is a responsibility when marching “in the songs that you sing not to divide our nation”.

Voices of dissent and political criticism

Not all speakers at Africa Day echoed McKenzie’s framing. Mmusi Maimane, leader of BuildOne South Africa, criticised movements such as March and March at his Constitution Hill event, saying they lacked moral clarity.

“Today, we are witnessing movements without moral clarity, without ideological grounding, and without any constructive vision for our people. These are nefarious movements that organise themselves not around building Africa, but around persecuting fellow Africans,” Maimane said.

ANC response

The ANC said in its Africa Day statement that it will work with fraternal organisations and through government to address continental challenges, including illegal immigration, and called for leadership and unity to seek lasting solutions to problems such as war, malnutrition, coups, climate change and poverty.

What remains next

The confirmation by March and March of a nationwide shutdown on June 30 comes as ministers move to finalise national action planning and as political leaders call for both action on illegal immigration and caution to avoid division. The situation remains fluid as stakeholders prepare for the weeks ahead.