March and March and allied groups plan nationwide demonstrations on 30 June demanding undocumented migrants leave the country, as political parties and authorities respond amid rising tensions.
Organisers including March and March confirmed on 24 June they will proceed with protests next Tuesday despite some municipal bans, insisting the events remain peaceful. The movement has links to the MK Party through figures such as Sanele Khambule and has held engagements with ActionSA and other parties ahead of the 2026 local elections.
Government preparations include a R600-million security operation by the South African Police Service in collaboration with private firms. In the Eastern Cape, officials identified potential hotspots including Nelson Mandela Bay and deployed additional resources with a zero-tolerance approach to violence. KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli addressed a summit on undocumented foreign nationals alongside March and March leaders on 25 June.
ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula accused former president Jacob Zuma and the MK Party of exploiting the issue for electoral gain. Civil society groups under the Siyafana Sonke Action Campaign called for urgent intervention to prevent violence and displacement, noting thousands already affected in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
