March and March to picket outside SADC summit in Durban under theme ‘It’s time to fetch your people’

According to IOL, the March and March Movement will hold a march and picket outside the SADC summit in Durban on Monday under the theme “It’s time to fetch your people.”

What organisers say

According to IOL, March and March national spokesperson Sandile Dube confirmed the group would picket outside the summit, saying:

“The March and March movement will hold its march and picketing outside the SADC Summit under the theme ‘It’s time to fetch your people,'”

According to IOL, the movement also announced plans for a follow-up national action, saying it was calling on heads of state to prepare for a mass deportation of undocumented foreign nationals by a specified date.

“The March and March movement hereby announces its second wave of June 30 National Day of Action and calls on all heads of state to prepare for a massive deportation of all illegal foreign nationals in South Africa by September 30, 2026.”

Background and recent activity

According to IOL, the March and March Movement led nationwide protests on June 30 that targeted undocumented foreign nationals; more than 20 civic groups took part in demonstrations across all nine provinces on that day.

According to IOL, the movement’s leader, Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, has vowed that March and March will continue protesting every Thursday until the government responds to its demands.

Where and when

The SADC summit is taking place in Durban at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre. According to IOL, the summit began on Sunday and concludes on Monday, August 17.

Demands and positioning

According to IOL, March and March has set out specific demands including stricter visa controls, a review of asylum policies, action against employers who hire undocumented workers, accountability for corrupt police officials and restrictions on access to public services for undocumented migrants.

According to IOL, the movement said it was in a “structurally better position” than it had been on June 30 to mount what it described as the “mother of all National Day of Action” protests.

Regional context

The summit brings together heads of state and government from the 16 SADC member countries. According to IOL, the 46th Ordinary SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government is being held at the convention centre in Durban and is expected to conclude on Monday.