South Africa plans anti‑xenophobia rally and march to Parliament

Civil society groups, migrant organisations and human‑rights activists will hold an anti‑xenophobia rally in Observatory, Cape Town, on Saturday. The gathering follows a 11 July meeting in which more than 30 social‑justice organisations pledged to cooperate in response to a worsening humanitarian crisis affecting migrant communities.

Rally organiser Tauriq Jenkins said the event is designed to unite groups from housing, health, education, climate justice and international solidarity sectors, reject claims that migrants cause unemployment and service‑delivery problems, and demonstrate that xenophobia contradicts South Africa’s democratic values. The rally will lay the groundwork for a larger march to Parliament scheduled for 8 August, aiming to pressure the government to address xenophobic violence and protect foreign nationals.

The event comes amid a series of recent xenophobic protests and attacks on migrants within South Africa.