Durban, South Africa — March 25, 2026 Protesters Demand Stricter Immigration Laws in Durban. Controversial civic group March and March led a protest in Durban, South Africa, yesterday, advocating for stricter immigration laws and border controls.
The group, alongside several political parties including ActionSA and the vigilante anti — migrant group Operation Dudula, demanded the mass deportation of undocumented foreign nationals.
The protest, marking March and March’s first year of raising the issue publicly, has drawn criticism for its xenophobic rhetoric. March and March’s leader, Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, and her supporters were particularly vocal, questioning why the government allowed undocumented foreigners to access public facilities such as healthcare. “If you are saying you can’t refuse them healthcare for example, why must it be public?
Make them pay for their own healthcare if they want to be here in the country milking our resources for all that they have, “Ngobese-Zuma stated.
ActionSA’s leader, Herman Mashaba, echoed the group’s sentiments, expressing his party’s support for the demonstration. “We are seeing our government allowing our country to be flooded by groups from all over the world. So we are saying to our government this is unacceptable, “he.
Mashaba also criticized the government for not acting swiftly enough to address the issue. Participants in the march, including Muzi Xaba, argued that illegal immigrants were taking jobs away from South Africans. “So, our duty is to deal with labour as well as civil matters, … we are already fighting for people in the workplace.
We must remove foreigners and then hire South Africans, “Xaba.
The protest has sparked a debate on the impact of undocumented immigrants on local communities, with allegations of rising crime rates and job losses attributed to them.
