Demonstrators are demanding that the government take border control seriously.
Image: Ayanda Ndamane/Independent
Dozens of demonstrators affiliated with the March and March movement marched through Sea Point on Tuesday, calling for stronger government action on illegal immigration and tighter border controls.
The group gathered in Fort Road before proceeding along Beach Road, turning into St John’s Road, then Main Road, and continuing towards Glengariff Road, where the march concluded at the Mandela Glasses landmark, Cape Argus reported.
March and March Cape Town branch leader Charlie said the demonstration was aimed at highlighting concerns over what the group described as an influx of unauthorised immigrants into South Africa.
“We are here today to march against the influx of unauthorised immigrants in South Africa,” Charlie said. “We know the impact of these foreigners in our country, from drugs in our communities to Ethiopians and the Somalians who have taken over the spaza shop business. It’s hard for South Africans to open that business because they are like a cartel at this point.”
March and March demonstrators on Sea Point promenade.
Image: Ayanda Ndamane/Independent
He said the organisation was calling on government to strengthen border control and ensure documentation checks are properly enforced.
“We are urging South Africans to also stand up against this and urge the government to do something about it; and Home Affairs to confirm that their papers are not fraudulent,” he said.
Participants carried placards and chanted slogans as they moved through the area, voicing concerns and calling for government intervention on immigration-related issues.
A passerby who observed the march said foreign nationals were being used as a scapegoat for broader governance and service delivery failures.
“It is happening in America, in the UK, it’s happening all around the world. It is a tragedy; I wish the energy could be directed somewhere else,” he said.
He also questioned the scale of the police deployment at the march.
“We have 500 police here for a couple of people, when you’ve got rampant crime and devastation just down the road,” he said, adding that the event was being used to distract from “what is really happening in our country”.
According to the campaign’s website, March and March says it seeks to protect South African citizens, enforce the rule of law, and restore accountability through what it describes as firm action, responsible governance and community empowerment.
“Our mission is rooted in fairness, national integrity, and a commitment to a future that serves those who call South Africa home,” the website states.
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