Cape Town – The leader of the March and March movement, Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, says her organisation will not be held responsible for any incidents arising from the nationwide protests planned for 30 June, which are calling for undocumented foreign nationals to leave South Africa.
Speaking in Midrand, Johannesburg, on Wednesday, Ngobese-Zuma said maintaining public order is the responsibility of the state, not protest organisers.
According to IOL, she said that the 30 June deadline was initially announced by activist Nkosikhona Ndabandaba, popularly known as “Phakel’umthakathi”, before gaining widespread support from South Africans.
WATCH | Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, the organiser of the planned demonstration on June 30, says the government must take full responsibility for any outcomes associated with the nationwide action. pic.twitter.com/EPCXKWx4DT
— SABC News (@SABCNews) June 24, 2026
“The deadline was announced by ‘Phakel’umthakathi’. When he announced it, South Africans stood up in numbers in support. So it’s no longer a ‘Phakel’umthakathi’ date; it’s a South African date,” she said.
Ngobese-Zuma also rejected criticism that setting a deadline for undocumented migrants to leave the country was unlawful or inappropriate.
“I’m finding it so strange that it can be illegal to tell people who are illegal in the country to leave the country because they’re in the country illegally,” she said.
The March and March leader further criticised government’s decision to allocate R600 million towards policing the planned demonstrations.
A heated confrontation broke out after a journalist claimed that March and March Leader Jacinta Ngobese Zuma said illegal migrants must “perish.” 🤣🤣🤣🤣😂 they are shaking 🤭 @JacintaNgobese @JacintaaNgobese pic.twitter.com/CFpyQZ9mBt
— Dj Look SA (@djlooksa) June 24, 2026
Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia recently revealed that the funds had been redirected from the South African Police Service budget to ensure operational readiness ahead of the protests.
According to SABC News, Ngobese-Zuma argued that the allocation demonstrated that authorities have both the resources and capacity to address illegal immigration more effectively.
“I mean, if they’ve got so much money to spend on fighting March and March, surely they’ve got enough to fight illegal immigration themselves. They need to do their job and do it fully. You can’t decide when you’re doing your job and when you’re not going to do your job,” she said.
She further contended that the same resources could be used to strengthen border security and protect South African citizens.
WATCH | Major-General Phumelele Makoba reminds those participating in marches that no civilian is permitted to search another civilian or demand identification or proof of nationality. She says such powers rest solely with law enforcement officers. pic.twitter.com/Jlu7gN43xx
— SABC News (@SABCNews) June 23, 2026
“Since we know that they’ve got the capacity to have the police present, then it means that they’ve got enough money to make sure the country is safe, especially the borders. We encourage them to use that money going forward to protect the citizens of the country against people who are in the country illegally,” she said.
The planned demonstrations have sparked intense public debate, with organisers insisting that their concerns centre on illegal immigration, while government has repeatedly called for any protests to remain peaceful and within the bounds of the law.
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Compiled by Glaan Sibuyi
