Episode 2 Escalation, Violence, and Competing Agendas

Added: 2026-06-03

[00:00:00][music] >> By April 2026, March and March had escalated from a Durban movement >> [music] >> into a national force.

[00:00:16]Protests spread rapidly, but so did tensions, intimidation, and in some areas outright violence and looting. On 28th April, hundreds marched in Pretoria against >> Nation, March and March has descended on the streets of Pretoria today in protest against what they call illegal immigration. They're accusing government of failing to attend to the issues, of failing to assist with regards to getting a crackdown on unauthorized and illegal immigration. Now, the protesters have been urged by organizers to refrain from looting, to also refrain from damaging local businesses and public infrastructure.

[00:01:00]>> The next day, Johannesburg's CBD saw a major march to the Gauteng Legislature.

[00:01:07]>> I'm running to the other group of marchers, and you'd notice that on both ends, it's quite a lot. We're not seeing any um weapons.

[00:01:19]Um what we can see are those shields and those knobkerries. You'll also notice in shots um the leaders of March and March. We just saw Ngizwe Mchunu as well. Very vocal about the concerns that they've raised.

[00:01:34]They basically want stricter laws, um immigration laws.

[00:01:38]Um they're also demanding that foreign nationals be documented and uh find their way out of South Africa.

[00:01:47]They say >> Foreign-owned businesses closed preemptively amid fears of unrest.

[00:01:54]Similar marches followed in the Western Cape, Bellville and Parow.

[00:02:01]>> Calls for tougher action against undocumented foreign nationals echoed through the streets of Cape Town as hundreds of demonstrators marched from Bellville to Parow.

[00:02:15]>> [singing] >> This forms part of a growing movement that staged similar marches across the country in recent weeks.

[00:02:29]March and marches to Siyanda Nobesuthu insists the campaign is directed at undocumented migrants. Those using fraudulent documents and individuals accused of criminal activity.

[00:02:43]>> We have been complaining a lot about the behavior and the crimes that foreign nationals are committing in the country.

[00:02:49]Whereas they're being painted as the victims all over the world is South Africans that are xenophobic. Well, there's nothing xenophobic about marching in our streets. It's our constitutional right.

[00:02:59]>> Eastern Cape and Northwest protesters delivered memoranda demanding urgent action on undocumented immigration.

[00:03:09]Politicians from various parties were spotted at events.

[00:03:13]>> Well, right now people have started gathering at King Dinuzulu Park where the march is expected to start. And yes, indeed, they are various political organizations that have joined our March and March in this event today. We have the Action SA led by the president of the party, Mr. Herman Mashaba, as well as the IFP and patriotic and other parties that are also rallying behind this movement or this action where they are marching against illegal immigration here in South Africa.

[00:03:51]>> Raising questions about opportunism.

[00:03:54]Critics argue some are exploiting genuine grievances for votes, while the movement insists it remains independent and civic.

[00:04:04]Organizers repeatedly called for peaceful action.

[00:04:08]However, multiple incidents turned confrontational.

[00:04:12]In Durban's Pinetown area, reports documented assaults on foreign nationals, including cases of shambok whippings, >> [music] >> pepper spray, and stun attacks on shop owners.

[00:04:24]In the Eastern Cape, protests in Kwanobuhle and Khutsong led to clashes, torched vehicles, and looting of both foreign and some local businesses.

[00:04:35]Similar patterns of public violence and shop looting appeared in Mangaung and Krugersdorp.

[00:04:42]At least seven deaths have been linked to the broader wave of tensions.

[00:04:47]Human Rights Watch, African diplomats, and opposition voices label many incidents as xenophobic attacks.

[00:04:56]March and March leaders, including Nhlanhla Lux Dlamini and Nhlanhla Ncube Zuma, firmly reject this, saying they target only illegal immigration and cannot be held responsible for criminal elements hijacking their protests.

[00:05:11]The government acknowledges real problems around jobs, crime, and service delivery, but warns against vigilantism.

[00:05:21]Amid the chaos, the movement formalized its 30 June 2026 [music] deadline for undocumented foreigners to leave voluntarily.

[00:05:30]They issued 10 demands, [music] including a state of emergency on immigration, mass deportations, and a halt to new refugee applications.

[00:05:40]>> We have a few demands that we have listed that we would like to put to our government.

[00:05:46]We call upon the government to stop granting and processing the processing of all refugee applications within 14 days until the state has come up with an interim solution pending the process currently underway in respect of the white paper.

[00:05:59]Because currently there's no need for them to keep handing out refugee statuses when they know that their house is not in order.

[00:06:04]We call for the immediate and massive deportation of all illegal immigrants currently living in the country. And if they can force them to pay for their way back home, it'll ensure that they don't keep coming back.

[00:06:16]We call for the the amendments of the law to enable BMA to operate inland.

[00:06:20]Because for us it makes no sense to say that the people that are allowing the people to come in and know how long they should be staying in the country are not allowed to come into the country and take them out when their time has expired.

[00:06:32]We demand for the transfer of all immigration officers to BMA and for this to be legislated. And of course for the increase in the number of immigration officers in the country because 800 really is a ridiculous number.

[00:06:45]We call for the urgent transfer of all border police to BMA because currently what is happening SAPS and BMA and SANDF are not working together at the borders to make sure that they are able to stop people from coming into the country due to who is calling the shots at the border at the time. So it's better to just have BMA be the ones that have their own resources and their own personnel working at the borders.

[00:07:10]We would like to see for the government to set a budget to build a secure fence and secure our country urgently as a matter of of absolute urgency because we know that currently our country is only operating at 25% capacity at our borders.

[00:07:25]We are calling on government to declare an a state of emergency for illegal immigration that is currently happening in the country under the banner of this being an invasion of the country.

[00:07:35]We also would like to call for the legislation to pass laws to reserve township economy for South African small businesses only.

[00:07:44]And call upon the president to address the nation in respect to the issues raised above before the 30th of June 2026.

[00:07:51]As our people want to take to the streets on the 30th of June 2026 if this issue is not addressed correctly.

[00:07:58]>> As of late May, they continue media briefings and plan further actions such as in Mpumalanga on the 4th of June.

[00:08:08]The escalation succeeded in dominating national headlines, but it also exposed deep divisions between citizens demanding South Africa first, migrants living [music] in fear, politicians with competing agendas, and a government caught in the middle.

[00:08:25]As June approaches, the risk of wider unrest, opportunistic looting, [music] and tragic violence remains real.

[00:08:35]Next in episode 3, the June 30th deadline, preparations, government response, and what could go wrong.