THOUSANDS of people gathered in the Johannesburg CBD on Tuesday morning as the March & March procession got under way, with participants calling on government to tighten border security and take stronger action against illegal immigration.
The march started at Beyers Naudé Square and is expected to proceed to Constitution Hill, where organisers plan to hand over a memorandum later in the day.
Heavy police, traffic officers and emergency services were deployed across the city after Gauteng Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni said law enforcement was fully prepared for the demonstrations.
Speaking during a readiness briefing on Monday, Mthombeni said police would operate in three phases – before, during and after the marches – and warned that law enforcement would be out in full force.
“This is a time where law enforcement have to stand up and show up. We have to stand up for the country and protect the country,” he said.
Among the marchers was 38-year-old Johannesburg resident Lwazi Gwijane, who said South Africans have been raising concerns about illegal immigration for many years.
“We’ve been asking government to sort out the borders and stop people from entering illegally, but the problem has persisted,” he said.
Gwijane defended the role of communities in reporting suspected undocumented immigrants, saying citizens could lawfully assist police through citizen’s arrests before handing suspects over to law enforcement.
He rejected claims that the march was motivated by xenophobia or afrophobia, arguing that participants were raising concerns about illegal immigration and its impact on South Africans.
Another participant, Xolani Mema, 35, who said he is currently homeless and living in Rosebank, described the march as a rare moment of unity.
“This is the first time in a long time I’ve seen our people united like this. We have to stand together and say how we feel about how we are living in this country,” he said.
Mema claimed he lost access to his family home after it became occupied while he was away. He also said competition for services at hospitals and homeless shelters had left him feeling frustrated, adding that he hopes government will listen to the concerns raised during the march.
“I’m hoping our leaders don’t just hear us but feel what ordinary South Africans are going through,” he said.
The march formed part of nationwide demonstrations calling for stronger enforcement of immigration laws and improved border management.
While the event remained peaceful, law enforcement maintained a visible presence throughout the city, with helicopters, police vehicles and public order policing units monitoring the procession until it concluded.
