It has been over a month since thousands of South Africans took to the streets to demonstrate against illegal immigration. Since then, many changes have occurred regarding the country’s handling of foreign nationals, marking a turning point in South African history. March and March has seen much success following the protests, with many key role-players in the country’s economy and administration bending the knee to their demands. Proponents of the anti-immigration movement remain steadfast in their assertion that foreign nationals are the common denominator in all of the country’s shortcomings. However, several statistics (or lack thereof) may prove otherwise.
Earlier this month, March and March founder Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma held a press briefing in which she claimed that the protests were free of violence and that the rights of foreign nationals were not violated. She further reiterated that no destruction of property took place on the day. When asked about the sporadic lootings, arrests, assaults, and property destruction that took place during the march, Ngobese-Zuma said that March and March is only focused on the minimal “overall” violence that took place on the day. She further detailed that over 100 000 illegal immigrants have been removed from the country, explaining that many of said immigrants are to blame for the skyrocketing crime rates within South Africa. Interestingly, in the same breath, Ngobese-Zuma acknowledged that many of the now deported immigrants were living in inhumane conditions, with some being used as “modern-day slaves” by those who own the means of production. She said that March and March is apparently willing to fight against this cruel system if necessary.
When speaking on the success of the march, Ngobese-Zuma highlighted that many children of illegal immigrants have left the country along with their parents. Supposedly, this will allow more South African children to access basic education. She did not provide any figures to support this claim. Continuing her tales of March and March’s victories, Ngobese-Zuma claimed that thousands of immigrants who “abused” South Africa’s healthcare facilities have left the country, subsequently saving the government millions in expenditure and making healthcare more accessible to South African citizens. Furthermore, she explained that healthcare workers are now able to work in far more “conducive” environments as a result. Again, no figures are adduced for these claims. Ngobese-Zuma also suggested that as a result of the protests, there has been a significant drop in crime, citing a 28% fall as reported within the Durban Central Business District. She detailed that this comes from clean-ups within the CBD, which subsequently resulted in increased police visibility and the closing down of illegal businesses, presumably run by foreign nationals. She ultimately claimed that this proved that irregular migration is directly linked to crime within the country. Later on, Ngobese-Zuma also said that as a result of foreign nationals leaving rural areas and townships, spaces have been opened up for South Africans to take back control of the township economy.
It should be noted that the 28% figure was published by the eThekwini Municipality in April, months before the 30 June protests took place. Additionally, the figure comes from a partnership programme between the eThekwini Municipality and urban management organisation Ensure Ubuntu. The programme, with co-operation from the police, involved street ambassadors, rapid-response teams, and security patrols. The figure in question covers 14 months of the programme’s operations and only concerns one category of crime within a managed precinct, reflecting a package of specific security and urban-management measures.
The March and March leader also claimed that Somalians, Ethiopians, Pakistanis, and Nigerians are refusing to leave the country following the protest, claiming that many conduct illegal activities under the guise of standard businesses. She called for more funding to be allocated to the police to deal with foreign nationals, saying that “it is clear the police do not have enough vans, holding cells, guns, staff… or enough food to feed the illegal immigrants once they are apprehended”. She further stated that as a result, many illegal immigrants are released back into the unsuspecting public who “continue to suffer at the hands of these criminals”. She further suggested that March and March has had successful engagements with role-players within the delivery industry to ensure that jobs within said industry are reserved exclusively for South African citizens.
Towards the end of the briefing, Ngobese-Zuma announced the formation of the “SA First Forum”, a non-profit initiative aimed at assisting South Africans in accessing legal services and addressing human rights violations. She explained that the forum will attempt to empower communities by providing information on immigration laws, legal education, advocacy, and other support services. Ngobese-Zuma claimed that the forum will “litigate against the state on behalf of predominantly black people”. Finally, she said that submissions by South Africans have paved the way for the establishment of the “First Safe Country Principle” within South Africa. She elaborated, saying, “To our joy and excitement, [this] means that there will be no Ethiopians, Somalians, Nigerians, Pakistanis, [and] Bangladeshis running to South Africa claiming they are running away from persecution and [that] they are refugees.” In conclusion, she called on the government to take a stricter stance on border control, calling for more funding to be allocated towards Home Affairs.
Presumably to the satisfaction of Ngobese-Zuma and supporters of March and March, June and July saw a mass exodus of foreign nationals from South Africa. Many were deported by the government while others took up repatriation offers made by the South African government or the governments of their home countries. A recent article by the Washington Post detailed that over 178 000 African immigrants have left South Africa in recent months, returning to their home countries of Malawi, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Ghana, Lesotho, and Mozambique.
As mentioned earlier, March and March place a large focus on “re-taking” ownership of the township economy. YeboFresh, an e-commerce and supply chain platform that connects major brands with informal township retailers, completed a market update report, detailing the impact of the 30 June protests on spaza shops. The report found that residents in some townships had experienced a significant increase in the price of bread following the protests. Thandeka Khumalo, customer insights manager for YeboFresh, said that this was due to supply chain disruptions as bakeries temporarily stopped delivering bread to areas affected by the unrest. Regarding claims that foreign-owned spaza shops have changed ownership to South African nationals, Khumalo said that there is very little data to support this.
PDBY also spoke with Mazviita Pasi, an international student from Zimbabwe studying at the University of Pretoria. Pasi highlighted that many illegal immigrants are in vulnerable positions themselves, having to leave their lives behind and seek work in environments where they are constantly faced with threats of deportation and violence. Additionally, many foreign nationals are abused by their employers as they are unable to report mistreatment to the relevant authorities due to their immigration status. Pasi also said that the situation surrounding illegal immigration is not being approached with the necessary degree of empathy, asserting that it does not simply boil down to foreign nationals maliciously entering the country to steal jobs and commit crimes.
Further on, Pasi discussed how difficult it is to legally migrate to South Africa, highlighting that immigration involves expenses that many foreign nationals simply cannot afford. Moreover, corruption within institutions such as Home Affairs makes obtaining legitimate documentation extremely challenging due to documents regularly going missing, delays from officials, and inconsistent immigration requirements. Pasi also expressed their dismay at the villainisation of illegal immigrants because proponents of the anti-immigration movement do not consider the immigration process.
Finally, Pasi highlighted the xenophobic nature of the countrywide anti-immigration sentiment. Despite the claim that the movement is only against illegal immigration, there have been many instances of foreign nationals with legitimate documentation being harassed and assaulted by protesters. They specifically cite an incident that took place in June during a March and March protest in Alexandra in which Total Mhlanga, a Zimbabwean national, was detained by protesters despite being in the country legally. They concluded by speculating that the use of foreigners as scapegoats allows the country’s leaders to escape accountability, especially as election season rolls around.
The 30 June deadline has come and gone, but supporters of the anti-immigration movement seem to have no intention of slowing down. What stands out the most about this initiative is the apparent lack of empathy that its supporters have for foreign nationals. Immigrants are constantly dehumanised and branded as criminals and thieves regardless of their circumstances. Their struggles are acknowledged but ignored, with the likes of Ngobese-Zuma beaming with joy at the sight of children being pulled out of schools, families being destroyed, and people losing their livelihoods. It seems that the pathway to South Africa’s success is paved by the suffering of those who live in it.
