BOKSBURG, GAUTENG — Residents from Greater Benoni have launched a coordinated protest against foreign national employment in Boksburg North, taking to the streets to demand that local businesses hire South Africans instead of immigrants. Going door-to-door at various commercial and industrial hubs, the demonstrators are accusing employers of prioritizing both documented and undocumented foreign nationals over unemployed local citizens.
The march extends beyond labor disputes, with organizers presenting a broad list of grievances regarding local policing and community safety. Among their core demands are the immediate removal of the Etwatwa Police Station Commander, disciplinary action against corrupt officers, the closure of foreign-owned spaza shops, and the deportation of undocumented immigrants.
Mr. Oupa, the coordinator of the march, stated that the group has been actively investigating businesses suspected of heavily employing foreigners. During the protest, demonstrators confronted the management of a local restaurant, which the coordinator alleged employs nearly 90% foreign nationals.
“Unfortunately, we never intimidate them,” Mr. Oupa said, responding to allegations that the protesters were bullying business owners. He explained that a small group of leaders had visited the establishment the previous week to speak nicely and request that the jobs be reclaimed for South Africans. Following the latest confrontation, the restaurant manager was given time to comply and was asked to submit employee documentation to immigration authorities. The protesters plan to return to verify that foreign workers have been replaced with locals.
The protest then moved to an industrial operation. Here, management pushed back, stating that the unannounced visit caught them off guard and highlighting their extensive prior engagement with the community. However, the demonstrators remained firm, arguing that previous visits had yielded no changes in hiring practices.
“These people here, they have their CVs. They are South Africans. They’re looking for a job,” Mr. Oupa asserted, urging the industrial management to hire local workers.
The unrest is also fueled by severe concerns regarding crime and government policy. The march coordinator alleged that foreign nationals—specifically citing Nigerians—are collaborating with corrupt police elements in drug and human trafficking operations, claiming that local police are failing to act. Furthermore, protesters placed the root cause of the crisis squarely on the government, criticizing failures in border control and the prolonged asylum and special dispensation permit programs that allow foreigners to remain and work in the country for decades.
The Boksburg North demonstration is an extension of a mass action initially announced by march leadership on June 30. The group has vowed to continue holding mass protests every Thursday until all undocumented foreign nationals have left the country.
