Sihle Mavuso
Anti-illegal immigration group March and March has set out a list of demands to government, including a call to halt the processing of refugee applications, as tensions rise ahead of a 30 June “deadline” from activists for a national shutdown over undocumented foreign nationals.
It said the issuance of refugee permits should be suspended until South Africa’s immigration laws are reformed.
The group made the demands at a late-night media briefing in Durban on Monday, after talks with government officials that it dismissed as “a futile exercise”.
March and March leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma said many asylum seekers were economic migrants abusing South Africa’s immigration system, and that urgent action was needed.
“We call upon government to stop the granting and processing of all refugee applications within 14 days, until the state has come up with an interim solution pending the processes currently underway in respect of the white paper,” she said.
She called for the “immediate and massive deportation of all illegal foreigners currently in the country”.
She also demanded changes to the law to allow the Border Management Authority (BMA) to operate inland, the transfer of all immigration officers to the BMA once the legislation has been amended, and the urgent transfer of border police officers to BMA command.
Ngobese-Zuma also called on government to allocate funding to build a border fence and secure the country.
She demanded that the government immediately declare illegal immigration a national disaster.
“Stop the defunding of the BMA, legislate, and pass bylaws to reserve the township economy for the South African small businesses. We call upon the President to address the nation in respect of the issues raised above before 30 June 2026, as our people want to take to the streets on the 30th of June 2026 if their issues are not addressed,” she added.
Ngobese-Zuma rejected claims that the movement was xenophobic and said March and March would not be deterred by pressure to halt its activities.
“We are not going to surrender. South Africa is our home, and we have nowhere to go, we will fight for our rights here in South Africa.”
On the planned June 30 nationwide protest, Ngobese-Zuma accused government of anticipating violence so it could deploy the army against protesters and, in effect, turn on its own citizens.
“They are waiting for some holocaust to happen and [Angie Motshekga, the Minister of Defence] is even blatant about it, the SANDF and the role they are going to play. But for us it is not going in that direction (violence). We know how much they have been craving to use us as posters for violence and xenophobia, even when there is no violence that they have created in their heads.”
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