THE chorus of opposition against the ever-growing number of illegal foreigners streaming into the country was amplified during a well-attended march in Durban yesterday, where people and personalities from various walks of life gathered against the rising scourge.
The march, attended by hundreds of people, and planned by Jacinta Zuma, an on-air personality at Vuma FM, based in Umhlanga, featured politicians, actors, Izinduna, and representatives from labour federations and community-based organisations.
They braved the sweltering heat as they marched peacefully through Pixley KaIsaka Seme Street (West Street) to the Durban City Hall.
During her rabble-rousing speech, Zuma said: “We are here to tell the government enough is enough. We have been quiet for too long. We are rising now. We want to reclaim our economy from illegal foreigners. These buildings here in Durban are owned by foreign nationals. We want to take them back.”
She adamant that the time for illegal foreigners in the country would soon come to an abrupt end.
“It is very painful to be ridiculed by people from outside the country. From now on, we will stand against the illegal foreigners. Any person who is in the country illegally is a criminal,” she said.
The heroes who died fighting for democracy were weeping in their graves due to this crisis, said Zuma.
The marchers were visibly incensed when Zuma informed them that a representative from the ANC-IFP-EFF-run eThekwini Municipality was not available to accept the memorandum.
Zwakele Mncwango, the provincial chairperson of ActionSA, added his voice, telling the crowd that they would up the ante if the government failed to deal with the illegal foreigners matter.
“This is just a start. If they don’t fulfill our demands, we will shut down the entire province. We will also be pushing for legislation in the National Assembly (NA) on the issue of illegal foreigners, which will stipulate that township economy should be reserved for local people,” he said.
The party has six seats in the National Assembly.
He lambasted the ten-party Government of National of Unity (GNU) axis for failing to effectively tackle the contentious issue of foreign nationals.
The sharpest criticism came from Induna Nkosikhona “Phakelamthakathi” Ndabandaba of Nongoma, who declared that they would take matters into their own hands and eject illegal foreigners if the government failed.
"For now, we are talking, if the government fails to eject these people, we will take the matter into our hands. The government must swiftly address this matter. We are tired of being silent now.”
He sternly added: “We don’t want to be provoked.”
The Patriotic Alliance's Teresa Nortje, who is the party’s ward candidate for Ward 36 ahead of the 2026 local government elections, also expressed her displeasure.
“These people must go now. Abahambe. We are tired of them. They have ravaged our country. We want to reclaim our hospitals, we want to reclaim our schools, and we want to reclaim our public infrastructure,” she said, which drew thunderous applause.
Mlungisi Ndlovu, the provincial manager of the Public Servants Association (PSA), said: “We as the PSA will fight on behalf of workers. We want to make sure that the local people are given jobs.”
The provincial convener of Operation Dudula in KZN, Scele Mlaba, said: “Foreigners are ruining our country, and the government is folding its arms. We have shown what we are capable of as Dudula. We are going to push these people out of our country. Comrades, let us continue to put pressure on the government to eject foreigners. If they respond to our collective call, we will do it ourselves,” he remarked.
The memorandum was handed to Sabelo Gwala, special advisor in KwaZulu-Natal's premier's office.
Meanwhile, Police Minister Senzo Mchunu also threw his weight behind the march, and said in a statement: "As a government, we remain committed to ensuring the safety and security of all South Africans, and we understand that immigration challenges, particularly involving individuals without legal status, which has serious implications for our national security and public safety."
He added: "The march is a call for enhanced vigilance and action from the relevant authorities to address illegal immigration and ensure that those who violate the law are held accountable."
A Durban-based political analyst Thobani Zikalal said there was a lack of political will on the side of the National Assembly to push for laws against illegal foreigners.
“This matter has grown to big proportions. It needs a collective from all citizens of this country. You also need the executive (led by President Cyril Ramaphosa) to take its role. You have a situation in which departments like home affairs are not capacitated.”
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