Cape Town – Controversial anti-illegal immigration group March and March staged a demonstration through the streets of Durban on Monday, near the venue hosting the 46th Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit.
Heads of state and senior government officials from 16 countries had gathered at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Convention Centre for the regional meeting.
“That is exactly what we are trying to do. Unfortunately, we know that we won’t be able to get inside, but we can have our voices heard,” a March and March member told SABC News.
The member said the group wanted President Cyril Ramaphosa to listen to what it described as the concerns of South Africans about migration, accusing the government of paying greater attention to the concerns of foreign nationals.
The protester also criticised Ramaphosa over comments he previously made about foreign nationals allegedly being treated badly and forced to leave South Africa through threats and violence.
SADC SUMMIT | A number of civil society groups, led by anti-undocumented immigration movement March and March, are protesting in Durban as the 46th SADC Summit gets under way. Ayanda Mhlongo reports. pic.twitter.com/JpCHp5KWnJ
— SABC News (@SABCNews) August 17, 2026
The group questioned where the president was when those incidents occurred, arguing that he had only chosen to speak out because African leaders were in Durban for the SADC Summit.
The protester acknowledged that government officials, including ministers in the security cluster, had responded to tensions surrounding migration. The Minister of International Relations, the Minister of Home Affairs and the Minister of Justice were among those seen attending to the situation, according to the protester.
The member also acknowledged that Ramaphosa had addressed the concerns of South Africans about migration and that government had played a role in facilitating the repatriation of Malawian nationals from eThekwini, many of whom voluntarily returned to Malawi.
However, the group insisted that more needed to be done to address the concerns of South Africans.
“At this given point in time, it seems like the government is for illegal, undocumented foreigners. Why are you not assisting your people in South Africa?”
The protester further alleged that members of the group had received threats but claimed that little action had been taken. They accused authorities of responding more swiftly when foreign nationals or government officials were threatened.
The group called for an end to what it described as unequal treatment and reiterated its demand for the government to address illegal and undocumented immigration.
The demonstration took place as regional leaders and senior officials met in Durban for the SADC Summit, with migration and other regional issues forming part of the broader political context surrounding the gathering.
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Compiled by Glaan Sibuyi
