By Lebone Rodah Mosima
March and March leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma has said there is nothing wrong with citizens using the 30 June protests to put pressure on government and on illegal immigrants to leave South Africa.
“We have seen the impact of illegal immigration. Therefore, if the 30th of June puts pressure on the government and illegal immigrants to go home, what could possibly be wrong with that?” she said at a press briefing on Wednesday with representatives from other like-minded activist groups.
Ngobese-Zuma said the protests were not organised by March and March alone, but had come from South African citizens demanding action against undocumented migration.
The country is on edge as the “deadline” set by the anti-illegal immigrant activists nears. Police have allocated R600 million to ensuring the safety of people and infrastructure leading up to and on the day, saying they will not allow a repeat of the July 2021 unrest, which lasted for eight days, led to over 300 deaths, and caused billions to be wiped from the economy.
Asked by journalists who funded March and March, Ngobese-Zuma said it relied on donations and its own fundraising efforts.
“Asking us where we get our money from if you’re not going to contribute to send to us is not helping us; rather, give us R600 million and then ask what we are doing with it,” she said.
“We are not a government entity; we do not use taxpayers’ money. Everything we do requires our own funds, and if South Africans donate to us, why is that a problem?” she asked.
“Because we are with the communities, we are the ones who know what they are saying,” she said.
She said the protest was not based on race, but on a demand that people who entered South Africa should comply with the law, contribute positively and not come into the country as economic migrants.
She said South Africans were becoming more politically aware ahead of the local government elections.
“That’s why we keep emphasising the importance of voting for parties that will bring change, because local government elections are also about individuals,” she said.
She said the organisations intended to intensify their campaign from 30 June if government did not respond to their demands.
“We are not asking for much. We want secure borders. We need more funding for the Department of Home Affairs because it appears to be an expenditure issue,” she added.
Said president and founder of United South Africans, Musa KaHlongwa: “We have gathered not as representatives of a single organisation or community, but as South Africans from diverse backgrounds who believe that the challenges facing our nation require a collective and coordinated response. The disdain of our government cannot be allowed anymore.”
“The issue of illegal immigration is not a concern affecting only one sector of society, one movement, or one individual; it is a matter that impacts communities across South Africa.”
KaHlongwa said the organisations were frustrated by “competition for space” in public schools, competition for jobs with foreign nationals they alleged were appointed in conflict with Section 8 of the Employment Services Act, and the pressure placed on poor communities.
She also alleged that South Africans were affected by the sale of drugs to young people, human trafficking by Nigerians, and exploitation in the textile industry by Chinese nationals.
“We don’t want the tuckshop mafia from Pakistan and Somalia. We want a safe and united South Africa,” she said.
KaHlongwa urged South Africans and foreign nationals who are legally in the country to hold government accountable and to stand united against what she described as a hostile takeover.
She called on government to secure South Africa’s borders by installing fencing and to amend legislation to allow the Border Management Authority (BMA) to operate inland.
“We want the budget of BMA and Home Affairs to be increased. We want immigration officers to be transferred to BMA. We demand a policy shift. Put simply, our government must immediately declare that the township economy must be reserved for South African citizens only,” she said.
“We demand a massive rollout of the deportation programme over the next six months, particularly targeting undocumented Nigerian nationals, Somalis, Pakistanis, Chinese, and illegal immigrants in general.”
KaHlongwa said the organisations had tried to engage government over the past year, but believed officials had failed to understand their message.
She said 30 June should not be seen as a once-off event, but as the start of a process aimed at the “liberation of South Africans and the rest of Africa from the remnants of colonialism”.
She said the movements would demonstrate peacefully across the country and continue to hold government accountable.
“No one must aid and abet illegal immigrants. This includes our government,” she said.
“We call upon all our members and communities not to cause any destruction to property. No shop should be looted. We are law-abiding citizens and do not behave like criminals or those who sell drugs to our children.”
INSIDE POLITICS
