‘Every Thursday for six months’: March and March vows weekly protests over undocumented migrants

March and March the campaign calling for a crackdown on undocumented migrants has vowed to hold weekly demonstrations, its leader said after nationwide unrest on 30 June. Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma told crowds in Durban the movement would march every Thursday for six months, pressing the government to act on immigration enforcement.

Leader sets six-month timetable

Addressing thousands, Ngobese-Zuma said the movement would persist until authorities responded to its demands. In a list of requests, March and March called for a larger budget for the Border Management Authority (BMA) and an increase in staff, arguing the country needs about 10 000 officials deployed to borders.

“Every Thursday, for the next six months, we are marching until they are gone,”

Ngobese-Zuma told supporters in Durban.

Nationwide protests and pockets of violence

Protests on 30 June began peacefully in several cities but later saw incidents of violence, looting and clashes with police in parts of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. Activist organisation Siyafana Sonke Campaign warned the marches had taken a “violent turn” by mid-afternoon and said demonstrations were spreading across multiple areas in Joburg, stretching police resources.

Incidents reported in Johannesburg

The most serious unrest was reported in Joburg’s inner city, where large groups moved through Hillbrow, Yeoville and Berea. Siyafana Sonke Campaign coordinator Zaki Mamdoo said there were reports of window smashing, threats against residents and attempts to storm flats believed to house foreign nationals.

By mid-afternoon, a vehicle was reported set alight in Claim Street, and there were accounts that protesters burned belongings belonging to homeless people. In Yeoville, demonstrators initially marched toward the local police station to demand documentation checks; later reports said windows of several buildings had been smashed and shops and cars along Raymond Road were being targeted. In Berea, protesters allegedly hurled stones at people recording the demonstrations and attempted to loot a bottle store.

Other areas affected

In Alexandra, crowds gathered around Alex Mall and Pan Africa Mall amid allegations of harassment of foreign nationals, and an injury was reported outside Alex Mall. In Daveyton, groups reportedly demanded documentation from migrants, while in Germiston protesters allegedly carried out citizen’s arrests of suspected undocumented immigrants before handing them to police. In Tembisa’s Winnie Mandela informal settlement, protesters were reported to have forced foreign-owned hawker businesses to close. Cosmo City and Mamelodi were also affected, with reports of looters targeting businesses owned by Somali nationals.

Police and SANDF deployments, arrests

By the afternoon, the South African National Defence Force had reportedly been deployed to Kliptown to assist in stabilising areas and dispersing crowds. Reports also noted significant police deployments in Durban and Pietermaritzburg as tensions grew.

In Briardene, protesters allegedly attempted to break into a foreign-owned shop and lit fires nearby. In Sydenham, police reportedly arrested a woman after she allegedly assaulted officers who intervened to prevent an attack on a foreign national. There were also reports of the arrest of four suspects for looting foreign-owned shops in the Madiba informal settlement.

Calls and reactions

March and March demanded stronger border security measures, saying the country needed greater resources at its borders and suggesting physical barriers as one option. The movement said it would continue weekly action until the government began taking the steps it has called for.

Reporting on 30 June described a mix of peaceful demonstrations and violent outbreaks across multiple cities, with local organisations and security forces monitoring and responding to the unfolding situation.