The leader of the anti-migrant movement March and March, Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, has once again dismissed claims that the organisation is xenophobic, saying the group is “tired” of repeatedly defending its position.
“Whoever thinks we’re xenophobic, it’s up to them. We’re tired. We can’t explain the same thing. It’s been over a year now of explaining one and the same thing,” Ngobese-Zuma said.
She was speaking on Thursday in uMthwalume, on KwaZulu-Natal’s south coast, where the movement launched its weekly anti-migrant marches.
Last week, the organisation announced that it would stage protests every Thursday until the government demonstrates that it is taking the group’s demands seriously.
Ngobese-Zuma said the purpose of the weekly demonstrations was to maintain pressure on the government.
“I think it’s just to keep up the consistency and to say that the message is only just starting now. It’s not the end, as we’ve mentioned,” she told the media.
“So we are building up this momentum for the government to understand that we still have concerns in different communities about the issue of illegal immigration in the country.”
According to Ngobese-Zuma, uMthwalume is among the communities where residents have raised concerns about undocumented immigration.
“This is a deep rural community and they themselves are complaining about different places being taken over by people they don’t know. They’re mushrooming.
“They’re running tuck shops. They’re running everything here and they seem to enjoy protection from the police. So that’s the concern,” she said.
Criticism of the movement has intensified as it continues to organise marches targeting undocumented foreign nationals.
Anti-migrant sentiment has gained political traction in recent years, with some South Africans arguing that foreign nationals are taking jobs and placing pressure on public services.
Previous protests linked to immigration have, at times, turned violent, while xenophobia has remained a persistent issue in South Africa, occasionally resulting in deadly attacks.
However, Ngobese-Zuma insisted that the movement is not xenophobic.
“We’re tired of explaining ourselves now. Whoever thinks we’re xenophobic, it’s up to them. They must think whatever they want,” she said.
Last week, the movement and more than 20 other civil society organisations held demonstrations across all nine provinces, calling for undocumented foreign nationals to leave South Africa.
More than 900 people were arrested during law enforcement operations conducted alongside the protests, with police saying most of those arrested were undocumented foreign nationals and individuals implicated in looting and other criminal activities.
Anti-migrant movement leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma has rejected claims that her organisation is xenophobic, saying weekly demonstrations will continue until the government takes its concerns over undocumented immigration seriously.
Meanwhile, President Cyril Ramaphosa has previously said the June 30 deadline set by anti-illegal immigration groups for undocumented foreign nationals to leave South Africa was “unnecessary.”
The government has distanced itself from the ultimatum, maintaining that immigration enforcement remains the responsibility of the state.
“The so-called 30th of June, in my view, is not an event that is even necessary because we are addressing the challenges that our people are facing,” Ramaphosa said on the sidelines of Youth Day commemorations at Nasrec.
He said the measures announced by the government had largely been welcomed by South Africans as important and immediately effective steps.
Ramaphosa also urged citizens not to take the law into their own hands, stressing that immigration enforcement is the responsibility of government authorities.
The president has repeatedly rejected claims by some African countries that South Africa is xenophobic.
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