By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development and chair of the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Migration, Mmamoloko Kubayi, led a media briefing of the committee on Tuesday evening, following the demonstrations against illegal migration around the country.
A crowd of more than 15 000 marches gathered, without incident, in the Durban CBD. Comprising mainly young people who had been bused from various townships around the city, they carried traditional weapons, cowshields and knobkieries.
In Johannesburg, demonstrators concluded their march at Hillbrow police station, while protesters in Pretoria marched through Sunnyside, a notorious drug-infested neighbourhood.
The demonstrations were largely peaceful, with marchers accompanied by police officers throughout the day.
Streets that are usually bustling were noticeably quieter. Some businesses had closed as a precautionary measure.
“Government wishes to express its appreciation to all South Africans who exercised their constitutional right to protest peacefully and responsibly during today’s migration-related demonstrations.”
“We commend citizens, community leaders, organisers, civil society formations, religious leaders and law enforcement agencies for their commitment to peace, restraint and respect for the rule of law throughout the country.”
“Whilst policing operations have been effective thus far, with demonstrations remaining largely peaceful across the country,” Kubayi said.
Although largely without incident, several people were arrested during the day in connection with incidents of looting and attempted looting across the country.
Kubayi added that law enforcement remains vigilant and on alert.
“Those who chose to exploit the marches to commit criminal acts will face the full might of the law. Police will continue to identify, arrest and prosecute all those responsible for criminal conduct,” the Minister said.
Kubayi acknowledged that the challenges around irregular immigration present genuine concerns for South Africans.
She assured that government is committed to resolving these challenges.
Government acknowledges that many citizens have genuine concerns about [a] lack of economic opportunities, irregular migration, service delivery, the challenges of border management and general public safety. These concerns deserve to be heard and addressed systematically through lawful and democratic processes.
“As government, we wish to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to implementing the Comprehensive Approach for Migration Management as announced by President [Cyril] Ramaphosa,” Kubayi said.
The Comprehensive Approach for Migration Management is a five-point plan announced by the President focussing on:
• Strengthening the enforcement of immigration and labour laws
• Securing South Africa’s borders
• Improving migration management systems
• Closing legislative and policy gaps
• Working with countries across the continent to address migration challenges in a coordinated manner.
The plan – and government’s continuous work in this regard – are bearing fruit.
“Government continues to make substantial progress with the deportation and repatriation of foreign nationals across the affected provinces. To date, the latest statistics indicate that we have successfully repatriated 4286 nationals and deported a further 419 in the past few days.”
“We want to assure all South Africans that government will continue to actively manage migration through lawful, coordinated and constitutional measures.”
Police Minister Firoz Cachalia said demonstrations occurred in many parts of the country and that they “were almost all peaceful.”
“There were no clashes between the police and demonstrators, which I am pleased about. Where clashes occurred in Yeoville, for instance, those clashes were between different parts of our society. The police did extremely well today, enforcing the law with restraint.”
Cachalia said overnight, and in the weeks ahead, police will continue to exercise vigilance. He said he had taken note that marches will continue each Thursday until the next Local Government Elections in November 2026.
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni spoke of the importance of the National Dialogue.
“The importance of hosting the Nation Dialogue is that South Africans needed to converse with each other, conversations about their challenges but also converse to know each other,” she said.