March and March leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma says the movement remains independent despite meetings with political parties, responding to Fikile Mbalula’s claims linking the group to MK Party leadership.
Image: ANC / X
March and March leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma has accused ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula of attempting to discredit the movement by linking it to the MK Party, saying the criticism was driven by "the fear of Jacob Zuma" rather than its campaign against undocumented immigration.
Her comments come amid public debate over the movement’s recent political engagements, including a meeting held the day before the 30 June protest between President Cyril Ramaphosa and Ngizwe Mchunu and Nkosikhona Ndabandaba, popularly known as Phakel’umthakathi, which took place without Ngobese-Zuma present.
Responding to Mbalula’s post on X, Ngobese-Zuma said: "I told you guys that the issue here is not March and March but the fear of Jacob Zuma."
The remarks follow Mbalula’s sharing of a photograph of Ngobese-Zuma and her husband meeting MK Party leadership, including Nathi Nhleko, questioning why similar scrutiny had not been applied to other political engagements involving the movement.
In the post on X, Mbalula said: "Jacinta and his hubby did meet MK leadership alone without Ngizwe and Phakela, so why meeting a head of state without her an issue?"
On Tuesday, Ngobese-Zuma told journalists in Durban that she had repeatedly requested a meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa but had not received a response.
She said she was also unaware that Mchunu and Ndabandaba had met the President on Monday.
Ngobese-Zuma added that she was not involved in discussions leading up to the meeting and had not been informed of what was discussed.
Ngobese-Zuma said Mbalula was selectively focusing on the MK Party meeting while ignoring the movement’s broader engagements with multiple political parties.
"Those who are close to Fikile Mbalula please can you tell him that we met with his leadership in eThekwini when we had our first march.
''They refused to be part of the march, now when March and March has grown to be this big from nothing suddenly he pulls out a picture of us having met with the MK? Why not pull out a picture when we met with ActionSA, IFP, DA, Afrika Mayibuye, ATM, Operation Dudula because we have met with a lot of political parties and leaders, including ANC?" she said.
She questioned why the MK Party meeting was being singled out, insisting the movement had engaged widely across the political spectrum on its concerns about undocumented immigration.
"So the issue is having met with MK? How many times have we sent our grievances to the ANC and they ignore March and March and then decide who they want to meet because they don't have the surname Zuma?" she said.
Ngobese-Zuma also rejected suggestions that the movement’s engagements with political parties indicated political alignment.
"The ANC issued a statement when I was fired and said they welcome me being fired. Now you want to make it seem like this is political?" she said.
She said the movement had organised its marches independently and without ANC involvement.
"The President of the country is the President and we only wanted to meet him to address the immigration issue, not because we wanted a photo op with him. If he chooses not to see us, that's not a loss to us. We organised those marches without the ANC," she said.
Ngobese-Zuma said Mbalula had previously questioned her identity and the movement before its protests gained national attention.
"When we started March and March it was a joke to many of you. You Fikile even went on TV and asked who I am? Now after we organised a nationwide protest you are trying to make it seem as though we were doing things in silence or behind the people's back to meet certain people? Everyone knows we have met several political parties and we have explained why," she said.
She accused Mbalula of attempting to repeatedly undermine the credibility of the movement.
"You failed with labelling us vigilantes, you failed with tribalism, now you want to keep aligning us with MK so you can prove a point that this is not a genuine organisation? Good luck with what you are trying to do Bhuti, but please be honest when you are addressing issues!" she said.
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