KwaZulu-Natal ramps up security measures ahead of anti-illegal immigration protests, with Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli, community policing forums, and law enforcement officials urging peaceful demonstrations while warning against vigilantism.
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KwaZulu-Natal is leaving little to chance ahead of Tuesday's planned anti-illegal immigration protests, with thousands of community patrollers, police officers, and crime prevention volunteers being mobilised amid growing fears that criminal elements could hijack the demonstrations and trigger unrest similar to the violence that engulfed the province in July 2021.
Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli convened an urgent meeting with community policing forums (CPFs), neighbourhood watches, youth crime prevention structures, and religious organisations in Durban on Saturday, saying the province cannot afford a repeat of one of its darkest chapters in recent history.
While acknowledging growing public frustration over illegal immigration, Ntuli drew a clear line between lawful protest and vigilantism, warning that anyone attempting to intimidate or attack foreign nationals would face the full might of the law.
"We meet at a time when there are growing concerns and uncertainty regarding the planned action on 30 June, which has reportedly been directed at undocumented foreign nationals," Ntuli said.
"Our foremost responsibility is to ensure the safety and security of every person within our province. While every person has a constitutional right to protest peacefully and within the confines of the law, no individual or group has the right to intimidate, assault, threaten, or unlawfully remove others from their homes, workplaces, or communities."
Members of the Community Policing Forums (CPFs) gather in Durban to discuss strategies for ensuring safety and security during the upcoming anti-illegal immigration protests, pledging to act as ambassadors of peace and discourage vigilantism.
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His warning comes as several organisations prepare for nationwide demonstrations calling for stricter action against illegal immigration, with authorities increasingly concerned that opportunistic criminals could exploit the protests.
Ntuli said the province had learnt painful lessons from the July 2021 unrest, when widespread looting and violence claimed more than 100 lives, devastated businesses, and left thousands without jobs.
"We have seen people in 2021 getting out of control. Whoever might have planned that was surprised by the behaviour of some community members because opportunists saw an opportunity to do what was wrong," he said.
"Already, some are engaging in plans to do what those leaders might never have intended. As safety structures, we have a responsibility to ensure the safety of our families and our province."
He urged community safety organisations to become "ambassadors of peace", working alongside the South African Police Service, metro police, and municipal law enforcement to prevent violence before it starts.
"I therefore call upon you to promote calm, restraint, and responsible leadership within your communities. Work closely with the South African Police Service, metro police, municipal law enforcement, disaster management, and intelligence structures to identify and prevent any threats to public safety... Act as ambassadors of peace by discouraging violence, vigilantism, xenophobia, and criminal opportunism."
Ntuli also admitted that the government had been slow to respond to growing public concern over illegal immigration, but insisted action had been under way since the seventh administration took office in 2024.
"I must be candid and say that the unfortunate aspect of the challenge we face is that we took too long to act. I agree with those who are saying so," he said.
He pointed to Operation Engangeni Ngesango Iyafohla, a provincial initiative involving the Department of Home Affairs, police, and the Department of Employment and Labour, saying inspections at businesses across KwaZulu-Natal had uncovered hundreds of undocumented foreign nationals employed illegally.
"It would be unfair, simply because you did not see it in the media, to suggest that the government and the police are not doing what they are supposed to do."
The premier also warned that the approaching local government elections created fertile ground for political opportunists seeking to exploit public anger.
"We must be careful because political parties may see this as an opportunity to profile themselves. When we solve problems facing society, we need to be united. A divided nation will never secure a better future."
Representing the Provincial Community Policing Forum Board, Siyanda Biyela said community safety structures had already activated thousands of trained volunteers across the province.
"We have mobilised our teams. We currently have more than 9,000 community group patrollers across all districts who have been activated to work within the confines of the law," Biyela said.
Siyanda Biyela, representing the Provincial Community Policing Forum Board, emphasises the importance of community safety structures in KwaZulu-Natal as they mobilise over 9,000 trained volunteers to ensure peaceful protests and prevent vigilantism.
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He warned members against taking matters into their own hands by targeting suspected undocumented migrants.
"Our responsibility is to identify information and report it to the relevant authorities, not to attack people. We must work with the police because vigilantism remains one of our biggest concerns."
Youth Crime Prevention Desk Chairperson Mbalenhle Ndelu said young people recognised the pressures communities were facing but insisted the Constitution remained the guiding principle.
"Our communities have raised three concerns daily - safety, jobs, and access to services. Those concerns are real," she said.
"But crime is an individual act. A person cannot be judged guilty or innocent because of their nationality, documents, or accent. We must fight crime, not people."
Acting KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Major-General Phumelele Makoba said police deployments had already been strengthened ahead of Tuesday.
"There are marches that have happened before for good causes, but we have seen criminal elements hijacking those demonstrations," she said.
"For the coming days, the South African Police Service will be on the ground safeguarding communities and protecting those exercising their constitutional rights. Community safety structures are our force multipliers, but they cannot at the same time become destabilisers."
Major-General Phumelele Makoba, Acting KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner, assures the public of heightened police deployments ahead of the anti-illegal immigration protests, emphasising the need to safeguard communities and uphold constitutional rights.
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Meanwhile, the eThekwini Municipality announced on Saturday that Malawian nationals currently accommodated at the Durban Drive-In temporary repatriation site would be relocated to a new Temporary Repatriation Processing Centre in Musina, Limpopo.
The decision follows a resolution by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration aimed at speeding up verification processes and voluntary repatriation through the Beitbridge Border Post.
The government said more than 15,000 Malawian nationals had already been processed for deportation or voluntary repatriation, while verification of additional individuals was continuing.
Municipal officials said the relocation would be carried out in partnership with the Department of Home Affairs, SAPS, and other government departments to ensure it was conducted "safely, orderly, humanely, and in accordance with the law", while urging residents not to spread misinformation as preparations for Tuesday's protests continue.