Protest leaders accuse the South African government of neglecting the immigration crisis while threatening citizens ahead of planned demonstrations.
Image: Nomonde Zondi
Tensions are escalating ahead of the planned anti-illegal immigration demonstrations on June 30, with protest organisers accusing the government of gaslighting and threatening citizens instead of tackling South Africa’s broken immigration system.
This comes after Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia issued a stern warning on Monday, asserting that while protests are a constitutional right, lawlessness and property destruction will be met with the "full might of the law."
The upcoming marches have triggered a massive security mobilisation across the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) Cluster. However, organisers have slammed the government’s briefing as a tone-deaf deflection from the actual crisis.
Addressing the media on the government’s state of readiness, Cachalia emphasised that the South African Police Service (SAPS) has increased its operational readiness across all nine provinces. He added that the military could be brought in if the situation escalates.
“Should the operational environment require additional capacity, SAPS may request the support of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to augment existing policing capacity,” Cachalia warned.
Cachalia stated that he and Defence Minister Angie Motshekga are satisfied with the coordination mechanisms in place. The state plans to engage with provincial Premiers to ensure the uninterrupted functioning of essential services, having already met with the leadership of the Zulu Royal House.
“We acknowledge that many South Africans have genuine concerns about issues affecting our country. Government hears those concerns. However, those concerns must always be expressed lawfully,” Cachalia added.
The government's heavy-handed warning did not sit well with Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, the leader of the 'March and March' movement. In a fiery response, Ngobese-Zuma expressed deep disappointment, accusing the state of protecting lawbreakers while bullying its own citizens.
"I think our government has a serious communication problem," Ngobese-Zuma said. "The one thing I'm not understanding is why the government of South Africa is not addressing the real issue, which is the illegal immigration crisis and foreign nationals who are buying documents and corruptly getting onto the system."
Ngobese-Zuma argued that the state's warnings were misdirected, noting that South Africans are merely reacting to a crisis created by state negligence.
"If you feel like threatening anyone, threaten the illegal immigrants who are in the country illegally. Threaten your own officials who are selling off documents. Threaten government officials who haven't been doing their job," she argued.
She further claimed that undocumented nationals have been openly threatening locals, a reality she alleges the government is willfully ignoring.
"The same individuals in the country illegally are the ones misbehaving and threatening South Africans, claiming they are armed and ready, yet the only threats are directed towards South Africans," she said.
Using an analogy to describe the frustration of ordinary citizens, Ngobese-Zuma likened the government to neglectful parents:
"It’s like someone crying to their parents saying, 'Mommy, Daddy, you've been neglecting me and I'm so angry.' And you say, 'If you dare touch the children from next door who invaded your space and took over your space, I'm going to beat you up.' Does that make sense?"
Ngobese-Zuma pointed to instances like the influx of undocumented individuals at the Durban drive-in as proof of an unchecked system, questioning what resources, schools, and jobs are being occupied without state oversight.
"Don't tell us about xenophobia or afrophobia or ethnic mobilization," Ngobese-Zuma concluded. "Tell us about the crisis of illegal immigration in the country and how you are going to fix it. That's what we want to hear."
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