WATCH | March and March leaders call for ‘repatriation grounds’
Numerous businesses in the upper CBD, including those along Church Street and Chief Albert Luthuli Street, were affected by the march
Protesters participating in the March and March demonstration yesterday have called for a designated site for the voluntary repatriation and deportation of illegal foreign nationals ahead of June 30 to be set up in Pietermaritzburg.
The demand forms part of a broader call for undocumented foreign nationals to leave the country, with organisers arguing that the move is necessary to address rising crime, unemployment and mounting economic pressures.
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The march on Friday in Pietermaritzburg was one of several demonstrations held across the country, as groups mobilise to pressure government to act on illegal immigration.
Thousands of protestors — including traditional AmaZulu regiments (Amabutho), the Labour and Civic Organisation (Laco), the MK Party and Africa Mayibuye — marched from Dales Park to the City Hall, where a memorandum of demands was handed over to municipal officials.
Delivery drivers on motorbikes led the procession. One of them, Siyanda Gumede told The Witness they wanted to demonstrate that South Africans were equally capable of working in the delivery sector, which they claimed was largely occupied by foreign nationals.
“We are more than capable, and when they leave, more job opportunities will be opened for South Africans,” said Gumede.
Numerous businesses in the upper CBD, including those along Church Street and Chief Albert Luthuli Street, were affected by the march, while hundreds of residents watched the proceedings from sidewalks and apartment windows.
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Participants in the protest said they were frustrated by illegal immigration and alleged criminal activities involving some foreign nationals.
Protesters claimed authorities had failed to adequately address their concerns.One protester, who said she had been a victim of crime, expressed her support for the demonstration.
Among the key demands, organisers called on Msunduzi Municipality to prioritise local residents in the allocation of informal trading opportunities, including tuck shops and other small businesses.
They also demanded Msunduzi Municipality declare a state of emergency on known drug dens.
Municipal officials received the memorandum at City Hall, but it remains unclear when a formal response will be issued.
Some residents, who observed the march from pavements in the city centre, expressed support for the demonstration, saying it reflected long-standing concerns.
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Women working at local salons said they were losing clients due to lower prices charged by foreign-owned businesses.
They charge far less, and customers are choosing them. We rely on this work to support our families because there are few job opportunities.
“Now even this is under pressure,” they said.
