BLOEMFONTEIN, FREE STATE — A recent Bloemfontein anti-illegal immigration march drew a small crowd, but organizers maintain that the low turnout does not diminish the urgent concerns surrounding undocumented foreign nationals and border security in South Africa.
The peaceful demonstration, organized by the Forum for Service Delivery, saw only a handful of participants. However, the organizers and local residents who attended emphasized that the core issues driving the protest remain critical to the community.
Marchers highlighted a range of pressing socio-economic challenges, including debilitating unemployment, the alleged occupation of Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) houses by foreign nationals, and a surge in substance abuse.
Participants shared personal grievances during the gathering. One resident recounted losing her child to drugs, stating that despite her repeated efforts to report the issue to the police, the crisis continues to threaten the safety of her grandchildren. Another community member pointed to housing frustrations, noting that they are still waiting for an SMS regarding an RDP site allocation and feel forgotten by the state.
Forum for Service Delivery spokesperson Potso Motoko stated that the march serves as a prelude to a June 30 deadline, which has been set for undocumented foreign nationals to vacate the country. Prior to the march, the Forum handed over a memorandum of demands to both the Department of Labour and the Premier’s office.
A major point of contention raised by the organizers is the government’s financial priorities. Motoko criticized the state for allocating R600 million to ensure safety and security on June 30. He argued that these funds are being used to safeguard undocumented foreign nationals rather than addressing the root causes of illegal immigration.
Motoko called on the government to redirect the R600 million to the Border Management Authority (BMA) and law enforcement agencies. He questioned why the state claims there is no money to secure and guard the country’s borders, yet has the budget available to enforce operations against citizens while borders remain unsecured.
Officials from the Premier’s office were present to receive the community’s grievances. A representative from the office confirmed that the memorandum was officially accepted.
The representative assured the community that the document would be forwarded directly to Premier’s office representative Matai. From there, the office committed to ensuring that the relevant organs of state review the demands and provide a comprehensive response to address the issues raised by the residents.
Despite the small physical presence at the march, the Forum for Service Delivery insists that the message delivered to the provincial and national government is clear: the community demands decisive action on border control, housing allocation, and community safety.
