THE City of Tshwane recorded no violence as citizens participated in peaceful marches on Tuesday, June 30, to highlight immigration concerns.
Tshwane executive mayor Dr Nasiphi Moya said in a statement: “We thank citizens who adhered to the prescripts of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, which provides citizens with the right to peaceful demonstration.”
The Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) and the South African Police Service (SAPS) oversaw an approved march in the Pretoria CBD.
The City security cluster also responded to smaller gatherings in Mamelodi, Bronkhorstspruit, Soshanguve, Nellmapius, Olievenhoutbosch, Stinkwater, Ga Rankuwa and Mabopane. The security cluster remains on high alert despite the first wave of demonstrations ending.
The Gauteng Provincial Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (PROVJOINTS), co-chaired by the South African Police Service (SAPS) and State Security Agency (SSA), gathered at Arthur Block, Mayfair, to assess deployments in Gauteng province ahead of planned protest actions. Despite most of the protests leading up to the June 30 deadline for illegal immigrants to leave South Africa remaining incident-free, Gauteng police Commissioner, Major General Tommy Mthombeni, confirmed several arrests, including an unidentified leader of Monday’s Soweto March.
Moya noted that Tshwane was at the forefront of addressing illegal immigration concerns, having led dozens of by-law enforcement operations to apprehend undocumented immigrants over the past 18 months.
She said: “We are cognisant of the economic and service delivery pressures felt by residents who are forced to share resources in a rapidly growing population. The peaceful demonstrations ensured that the essence of the grievances was heard by the government. Tshwane remains committed to continuing its bylaw enforcement mandate.”
Meanwhile, Xinhua reported that nationwide most gatherings remained peaceful despite isolated violence and looting.
Organised by the March and March, Operation Dudula and other anti-immigration groups, the coordinated protests followed a June 30 ultimatum for undocumented migrants to leave the country.
The Gauteng Provincial Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (PROVJOINTS), co-chaired by the South African Police Service (SAPS) and State Security Agency (SSA), gathered at Arthur Block, Mayfair, to assess deployments in Gauteng province ahead of the protest actions. Despite most of the protests leading up to the June 30 deadline for illegal immigrants to leave South Africa remaining incident-free, Gauteng police Commissioner, Major General Tommy Mthombeni, confirmed several arrests, including an unidentified leader of Monday’s Soweto March.
Ahead of the protests, authorities deployed thousands of police officers nationwide, supported by specialised public order policing units and standby military.
The National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure activated operational centres in all nine provinces, warning that looting, intimidation and infrastructure disruption would be met decisively.
In Gauteng alone, Police Commissioner Tommy Mthombeni mobilised about 13 000 SAPS officers, 10 000 metro police, 8 000 traffic wardens and 217 000 private security personnel to maintain public order.
Under heavy police presence, most demonstrations proceeded peacefully, though isolated criminal incidents occurred. In KwaZulu Natal, police arrested at least 10 suspects for looting in Durban and surrounding areas.
The Gauteng Provincial Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure, co-chaired by the South African Police Service and State Security Agency, gathered at Arthur Block, Mayfair, to assess deployments in Gauteng province ahead of the planned protest actions. Despite most of the protests leading up to the June 30 deadline for illegal immigrants to leave South Africa remaining incident-free, Gauteng police Commissioner, Major General Tommy Mthombeni, confirmed several arrests, including an unidentified leader of Monday’s Soweto March.
In Gauteng, suspects opened fire during a Hillbrow march, injuring two people. Provincial police spokesperson Brenda Muridili said: “The three suspects were arrested and two licensed firearms, believed to have been used in the incident, were seized for further investigation.”
Prior to the marches, President Cyril Ramaphosa and Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi had urged citizens to protest peacefully.
They warned that violence, vigilantism, xenophobia and civilian demands for identity documents would not be tolerated, emphasizing that immigration enforcement is strictly a state responsibility. Following the largely peaceful dispersal of the crowds on Tuesday evening, the government thanked South Africans, community leaders and law enforcement for their responsible conduct.
Security forces remained on high alert overnight to monitor hotspots, and the government reaffirmed that anyone responsible for violence, looting or criminal acts would be arrested and prosecuted.
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