March and March issues 10 demands, rejects fears of unrest at 30 June ‘shutdown’

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