‘Marches must remain peaceful’ — Kubayi appeals for responsible action

Mmamoloko Kubayi
Pretoria – Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi has urged South Africans to exercise their constitutional right to protest responsibly and avoid criminal behaviour during marches against illegal immigration.

Speaking during a Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) Cluster media briefing in Pretoria on Monday, Kubayi stressed that protests are protected by the Constitution but must remain peaceful.

“People’s right to march is protected by the Constitution, and freedom of speech is protected by the Constitution. We also emphasised the importance of ensuring that these marches remain peaceful,” she said.

Kubayi warned organisers against holding protests without notifying authorities, saying this creates security risks and limits the state’s ability to protect participants and the public.

“When marches are happening without communicating with the state, the organisers actually are [absolving] the state from responsibility. As a result, liability rests with the organisers,” she said.

Addressing rumours of planned nationwide protests on 30 June, Kubayi said government recognises the right to protest but appealed for calm and lawful conduct.

“As a country, we are not xenophobic, and we don’t believe that South Africans are xenophobic. There are socio-economic issues that we’ve got to deal with and must respond to,” she said.

She added that government would continue taking action against undocumented immigrants and criminals through law enforcement operations, stressing that “those who commit crimes are criminals, irrespective of whether they are South African or non-South African”.

Kubayi also announced that deputy ministers would be deployed across communities to monitor compliance with the law and report on issues on the ground, saying citizens want “practical action from government”.

Reflecting on the July 2021 unrest, Kubayi said government had learned important lessons about protecting lives and infrastructure during protests.

“We can’t allow properties and businesses to be destroyed. We’ve got to protect … lives during those protests,” she said, adding that those responsible for violence and deaths during demonstrations must be held accountable.

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