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2 clusters · 16 sources · 3 days · First seen · Last updated

South African anti-immigration protest movement

Overview

Tensions escalated in South Africa as the anti-immigration movement ‘March and March’ set a September 30 deadline for undocumented foreign nationals to depart the country. Led by figures such as Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, the group called on Southern African Development Community (SADC) governments to repatriate their citizens. The movement argued that undocumented migration contributes to national issues including crime, unemployment, and housing shortages.

As the deadline approached, fears of xenophobic violence led some refugees to go into hiding or live on the streets, such as those outside the Durban Refugee Reception Centre. The immigration debate became a significant issue ahead of local government elections scheduled for November 4.

On September 30, the movement organized mass demonstrations across major centers, including Durban, Pretoria, Johannesburg, and Cape Town. The scope of the protests expanded to include calls for a ‘Men’s March against GBV and Crime’ following high-profile murders. While movement leader Sphelele Shinga suggested participation could reach 1.5 million people, this figure remained unverified. The situation follows previous anti-immigration campaigns that reportedly resulted in over 200,000 people fleeing the country.

Entities

South Africa · March and March · Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma · Democratic Republic of the Congo · Southern African Development Community

Timeline

  1. [POLITICS] 3 sources
    South Africa: March and March group leads mass protests

    The ‘March and March’ movement led mass protests across South Africa on September 30, targeting undocumented immigration, crime, and gender-based violence in cities like Durban and Johannesburg.

  2. [INTERNATIONAL] 14 sources
    South Africa faces rising tensions over September 30 anti-immigration deadline

    South Africa faces rising xenophobic tensions as the March and March movement sets a September 30 deadline for undocumented migrants to leave, amid threats against activists and fears of renewed violence.

Sources

africa-express.info · afrikmag.com · antiguatribune.com · barbadosgazette.com · cartamz.com · derebus.org.za · dominicanrepublicpost.com · fairplanet.org · gbcghanaonline.com · ghanamma.com · haitigazette.com · jamaicainquirer.com · myjoyonline.com · sri.org.pk · stvincenttribune.com · thesouthafrican.com