March against illegal immigration in Durban - Mlondi Radebe shares more

Added: 2026-05-09

[00:00:00]This is Durban South Point. It's a protest by community members against illegal foreign nationals. That's what we understand. But our reporter Lond is there to give us the reasons that have taken these community members to the streets. A very good afternoon to Yum Lundi. We're seeing not just March on March PE members there, pardon me, but we're also seeing those dressed in Zuru regalia. We don't know if Amabuto. So just share with us who exactly is there and why have they taken to the streets today.

[00:00:36]Uh thank you very mucho. We are here at the DEP and CPD where the Amabuto as well as some members of some political parties have joined the march uh that is calling for the government to have a plan uh when it comes to foreign nationals because they are saying that if government doesn't have a plan these people uh that are illegal in the country they must leave those that are operating the shops around Deb and CBD they must also leave especially if they don't have papers to be in this country Because when we basically driving along the route or the CPD here in Deben, we did see that most of the shops that are operated by the foreign nationals are not operating today as a result of this march. H because the Amabuto have called this march for everyone to make sure that H is part of this march to to call on the foreign nationals to make sure that they move away uh from uh this uh country. But uh what we can also mention is that uh all the stakeholders that are participating in this march they are well behaving because the police presence in this match is our police are out in their large numbers to try and make sure that the people that are marching they are behaving especially in this route because what we know is that the matchers are going to be matching to the Debon H South beach where they'll be going to the point road to try and speak to the foreign nationals that are there.

[00:02:12]But we'll just also try to speak to the organizers of this march to try just to to get the viewers at home just to see to hear what is happening.

[00:02:30]again.

[00:02:36]I tell you In short, he's just briefing us in relation to the match that the matchers are going to the point The point side of the city is where most of foreign nationals are residing in that area. But as we are marching, they are here also there are also political parties that are participating in this match. But they are also calling on government to try and make sure that government is is is able to protect the interest of the residents of South Africa. basically when it comes to uh the rights of operating spa shop, operating shops in the CPD as well as getting basically space when it comes to job opportunities because they are also saying that the foreign nationals are basically taking their jobs in these areas especially like in the simple restaurant. You find that foreign nationals are there working as a waiters or and waitresses but they are also inundo saying that this is one of the thing that government needs to make sure that he protects the citizens of this country. Back to you inundo in studio. Before I let you go, I do understand that it is getting a bit louder there with them singing and chanting, but every time we see such visuals of large numbers gathered, we also cannot help but wonder if any of the individuals there could possibly be employed cuz one doesn't assume someone would take the day off to protest in in such a a format, if you will. So I suppose this speaks to the large numbers of individuals at 12:30 who are out in the streets meaning we have a lot of people who are currently unemployed in South Africa.

[00:04:57]>> Thank you very much. We did speak I'll just get out of the shot so that you can see. We did speak to some of the the marchers earlier uh this morning.

[00:05:07]Whereas they are saying that most of them they are unemployed. Some of them they were working before but because of short times and companies are giving uh the foreign nationals h more time to work in the factories. So they end up not getting an opportunity to work and others they ended up being uh retrenched in those premises. So now they are saying that government must make sure that he protect everyone when it comes to the interest that the South African citizens they should be coming first in the list of those that are employed by these companies. Back to you in studio for the march itself. You told us that they are marching specifically to an area where foreign nationals are gathered. They will speak to them peacefully that they need to vacate. But is there any intention with these marchers specifically to perhaps hand over some sort of memorandum to government officials because one assumes that they want the attention of government beyond addressing the foreign nationals themselves at this point in time. Ino it's very difficult to say that uh the government officials will be there but what we know is that looking at the number of police officers it shows you very well that even the departments they are aware that there's this much and even the city of because also the metro office off officers are part of this match in monitoring what is happening in this match but at this point in time we'll try and get uh the update when it comes to what is happening When we get to where the matters are going at at the basically the point road where we know very well that foreign nationals are occupying that part of the city and operating their businesses in that part of the city.

[00:07:02]>> And then one last point the presence of Amabuto there I was very reluctant to even distinguish them and say Amabuto because we understand that if they are not officially deployed by in Mrs. Zulu then we cannot necessarily say Amabuto but it's individuals in their personal capacity. Have you been able to interact with some of those dressed in the traditional uh Zulu attire to ask if indeed Amabuto and in what capacity are they there or participating in this protest what I can say is that we did manage to speak to some of the individuals that they are saying they are here on no one basically is forced to participate in this match. They are saying telling us that they all came to this match because they see a need for the foreign nationals to especially those that are illegal in this country to leave this country so that they themselves they can get opportunities when it comes to jobs as well as the space in some of the schools. You remember that earlier on in the year there was an issue of one of the school here at Edington Primary Min was maring calling on government to make sure that he starts by putting h first those children that are South African in the list or giving those spaces to South African learners before they even consider the foreign nationals to come and be part of this education system.

[00:08:43]>> Leave it there for now. Just allow you a moment perhaps to catch your breath.

[00:08:47]That's my colleague there, SBC News reporter Lund monitoring those protests there. I mean, this being an election year, local government elections just around the corner as we've heard the 4th of November. One wonders if perhaps among or at least in the messaging of most of these political parties they will not be touching on the issue of immigration because it seems to be dominating right now in 2026. There was a significant buildup starting with the beginning of the year specifically in case when it came to learner placement in schools and it has continued to build up. So one wonders if perhaps when we're going to hear of the messaging from most political parties if many of them are not going to seek to perhaps put solutions on the table and how this can be addressed in so far as illegal foreign nationals are concerned and just broadly immigration and the poorest borders. But as you can see on your visuals it's not just case also here in Khen in Tambisa to be specific. There are protests today significantly smaller crowd as you can see. We've been showing those visuals throughout the day, but that grouping there, not necessarily very organized, if you will, where there's distinctly somebody that or a grouping that is considered to have organized this march, but just community members on their own. They made it a point to indicate that nobody's leading this march. It's just them. They're going from one store to another, stores owned by foreign nationals, saying they no longer want them to trade in their community. But again important that we had the conversation around Amabuto because as we've heard from my colleague Monade it is not Amabuto today who have come out to partake in the protest but individuals who possibly form part of the Zulu regiment that have come in their personal capacity to partake as community members who perhaps are affected or impacted in their various communities by what continues to happen when it comes to uh migration illegal migration at that. So important correction or distinction to be made there that not necessarily in their official capacity as Amabuto but also important to hear as this continues to happen in case 10 what would be the view at this point of insi Mrs. Zuluini because it has essentially at least earlier in the year it had started in Kazulunatal with the placing of the learners the ones that couldn't get placement and it was at the forefront march on march led by among others Jasang goes you can see there on those visuals in Gizen Kunu today on horseback we know he's been a very busy man also here in counting leading a number of marches so today one can see that he's opted to be on horseback perhaps the march is very long so it's it's an easier protest or march for him today on horseback. As you can see there, it seems quite very organized that march with a significant number of individuals there as I was stating to Lund that always the question becomes at 12:30 we've got so many individuals out in the streets are they actually employed or this speaks to the numbers of people who are not productive in society or not able not because of their own will but unable to participate in this economy.

[00:11:56]So very disturbing that consistently we see such large numbers being able to organize themselves and gather and most of them indicating that actually they don't