Acting Police Minister urges private security to prepare for June 30 anti‑immigration march

Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia met with leaders of the private security industry and urged cooperation and preparedness ahead of the 30 June anti‑illegal‑immigration march.

Who met and why

The meeting took place on Tuesday evening, when Cachalia engaged with private security representatives to discuss the country’s security posture as groups prepare to demonstrate over undocumented foreigners.

Rising tensions and the call for collaboration

Protests against undocumented foreigners have occurred in various parts of the country in recent months. The meeting emphasised combining the resources and capabilities of public and private sectors so demonstrations planned for 30 June 2026 can take place in a “safe and lawful environment,” police spokesperson Kamogelo Mogotsi said.

Threats to national security

Mogotsi said Cachalia highlighted that “threats of violence present a considerable risk to national security,” and cited the impact of the July 2021 unrest as a reminder of potential consequences. Mogotsi added:

“Developments leading up to 30 June 2026 have been associated with various forms of mobilisation and conduct that have the potential to undermine South Africa’s standing both within the region and globally.”

Private sector response

Representatives of the private security industry welcomed Cachalia’s call for closer collaboration and, according to Mogotsi, pledged their support. The industry said it has already begun preparations and expressed readiness to help maintain public safety.

Prevention and preparedness

Cachalia stressed that prevention and cooperation are central to safeguarding the country. Quoting Sun Tzu, he said:

“The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”

Context

The source noted that movements such as Operation Dudula have confronted migrants in recent months. Some foreign nationals including Ghanaians, Nigerians and, most recently, Malawians have opted for voluntary repatriation ahead of the deadline.

Edit notes

1) Confirmed and retained the reference to Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia throughout the article; removed any other incorrect minister name references (no instances of ‘Cassel Mathale Cachalia’ remain).

2) Retained the timing detail that the meeting took place on Tuesday evening (paragraph 2 remains unchanged in phrasing).

3) Verified and retained the Sun Tzu quote and its exact wording: “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.” (appears in the ‘Prevention and preparedness’ section).

4) Removed an unclear phrase from the original draft (the phrase “March and March”) in the Context section and retained the clear organisational reference to Operation Dudula as present in the source.

5) Performed a factual check on other names and titles mentioned and corrected any mismatches to match the source material (notably retained Kamogelo Mogotsi as police spokesperson).