JOHANNESBURG, GAUTENG — South Africa protests have placed the Johannesburg and Durban metropolitan areas on high alert as massive anti-illegal immigration marches unfold across the country. With KwaZulu-Natal serving as the epicenter of tense domestic unrest just over a month before the province hosts the 46th SADC summit, integrated law enforcement agencies and traditional leaders are working to ensure public safety and prevent the kind of violence witnessed during previous national shutdowns.
In Johannesburg, the Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) and the South African Police Service (SAPS) Public Order Policing units have deployed integrated law enforcement teams, including Metro and National Traffic Police, as well as private security. JMPD spokesperson Xolani Fihla confirmed that business is continuing as usual in the Johannesburg CBD, with no immediate reports of disturbing incidents. However, authorities are heavily monitoring both planned and spontaneous marches. Initially, three marches were approved in the city, but one was canceled. The remaining two major processions are being closely tracked.
The first march, organized by the group March and March, is scheduled to gather at Beyers Naude Square next to Library Gardens at 8:30 AM. The procession will move at 10:00 AM along Helen Joseph Street, Troy Street, Twist Street, Kotze Street, and Queen Street, arriving at Constitutional Hill by 1:00 PM to hand over a memorandum to the SAPS before dispersing at 2:00 PM. Motorists are advised to avoid these inner-city and Hillbrow routes and utilize the M1, Joe Slovo Drive, and M2 instead.
A second march in Midrand, organized by the Mayuya Youth Activism Movement, will focus on youth job opportunities. Participants will gather on Dale and Modderfontein Road at 9:00 AM, marching via Pretoria Main Road, Allendale Road, and Musgrave Road to the Sandton area, dispersing by 1:00 PM. Fihla also noted that police are bracing for spontaneous service delivery protests related to winter power and water outages, following recent unannounced marches in the Jabulani area of Soweto and Kliptown.
Meanwhile, Durban Metro Police are also on high alert. Colonel Boysie Zungu, spokesperson for the Durban Metro Police, reported a smooth morning with public transport operating normally. A major march is expected to gather at King Dinuzulu Park at 8:00 AM, proceeding at 10:00 AM along West Street, Pixley kaSeme Street, and Gale Street, ending at the Point Police Station. Intersections along the Pixley route have been closed to ensure the safety of both marchers and the general public.
Zungu confirmed that SAPS and metro police have been deployed across residential areas, the CBD, freeways, and a known foreigners’ camp to prevent any spontaneous flare-ups. He clarified that while the municipality had initially raised security concerns regarding a march ending near the camp, the issue was a negotiation over the endpoint rather than an outright denial of the protest.
The heightened security comes as KwaZulu-Natal braces for massive action by anti-immigration groups, including March & March and Operation Dudula. The province is at the center of domestic tensions between South Africans and immigrants from the African diaspora. Inkosi Zwelinzima Thwalizwe Gumede, deputy chairperson of the KZN Royal House of Traditional and Khoisan Leaders, stated that the traditional leadership acknowledges the community’s concerns regarding illegal immigration, crime, and the strain on public services.
Despite the tensions, Inkosi Gumede emphasized the need for peaceful dialogue and urged protesters to exercise their constitutional rights responsibly. Addressing concerns raised by the Western Cape police commissioner about protesters carrying traditional sticks or weapons—which could be seen as inciting violence—the Inkosi explained the cultural significance of the practice. He noted that for a Zulu man, carrying a stick or traditional weapon peacefully without the intention to harm is a cultural norm, whereas using them to hurt others is unacceptable.
Looking ahead, the traditional leader called for strict adherence to the country’s immigration laws and constitutional prescripts. “We insist as traditional leaders not to take the law into our own hands but to rely on the laws that have been put in front of us by the country and the constitution,” Inkosi Gumede stated, expressing hope for a smooth and peaceful protest process.
