Hundreds of residents took part in the Thokoza shutdown march on May 21, organised by the Thokoza Abahambe Residents movement.

The march started at Sam Ntuli Stadium before protesters proceeded along Khumalo Street towards the Alrode industrial area, where memorandums of demands were handed to businesses.

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Members of the group Abahambe Thokoza Residents and local community members gathered ahead of a planned shutdown protest in Thokoza, raising concerns over unemployment and illegal immigration in the Alrode area. Full story to follow on albertonrecord.co.za

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The protest focused on unemployment, crime and concerns around the alleged employment of undocumented immigrants in local industries.

According to organisers, the march was officially approved and coordinated with law enforcement authorities.

 EMPD media liaison officer Sisanda Manitshana confirmed that the demonstration had been authorised and was being monitored by law enforcement agencies.

“The march is official. They applied for it, and it was approved. They will be escorted,” said Manitshana.

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Members of the group Abahambe Thokoza Residents and local community members gathered ahead of a planned shutdown protest in Thokoza, raising concerns over unemployment and illegal immigration Full story to follow on albertonrecord.co.za

♬ original sound – Alberton Record

She added that EMPD officers, together with SAPS members, were monitoring the situation to ensure the protest remained peaceful and orderly.

“EMPD, together with SAPS, is currently monitoring the situation. The demonstrators will wait at the spot that was agreed on so that they can hand in their memorandum to the companies. They will not be allowed to go inside the firms or companies,” she said.

“As you can see, everyone is out in numbers today. Everyone is coming out in support of the march. As you know, this has taken shape throughout the country. Now it is the concerned residents of Thokoza. We came out in numbers,” said Mzomuhle Mazibuko, one of the organisers.

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Organisers of the planned Thokoza shutdown protest say their campaign is aimed at tackling unemployment by calling for companies in Alrode and Angus to prioritise the employment of South African citizens and address concerns over alleged illegal immigration. Full story to follow on albertonrecord.co.za

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The organisers were working closely with the police to coordinate the demonstration peacefully.

“We are making our way to all the small and medium enterprise owners and employers to let them know that enough is enough. We have had it,” he said.

Mazibuko added that young South Africans were also trying to establish businesses and employment opportunities for themselves.

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Organisers claim they have spent two weeks trying to engage companies in Alrode and Angus over employment concerns and say some firms have failed to respond to police and stakeholder attempts to arrange meetings. Full story to follow on albertonrecord.co.za

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“Even the youth of South Africa are trying to start these same enterprises. That is our territory. We know what happened in this infamous street, and therefore we do not want those mistakes of the past again,” he said.

During the march, protesters distributed memorandums outlining the movement’s objectives, vision and demands.

According to the memorandum, the organisation describes itself as a non-political civic movement representing residents from Thokoza and surrounding communities, including Katlehong, Vosloorus, Palm Ridge, Eden Park, Alberton and Thina Sönke.

The movement stated that unemployment in the community had worsened over the years, allegedly because some companies employ undocumented immigrants ahead of residents.

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Nkosikhona Ndabandaba aka Phakelumthakathi singing among a large crowd of protesters during the demonstration Full story on albertonrecord.co.za

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Among the demands listed were that companies stop employing undocumented immigrants, prioritise South African citizens for employment opportunities, and establish an Alrode Stakeholders Committee or business chamber with equal representation from businesses and the community.

The memorandum also referenced sections of the Immigration Act relating to undocumented immigrants, employing undocumented foreign nationals and aiding or abetting illegal residence in South Africa.

Organisers said companies were given seven days to respond to the memorandum and its demands.

The protest rules included no alcohol, no political regalia and no weapons during the march.

The owners of Fermin Company and Celimpilo Xaba signed the memorandum during the protest.

Stats SA reports unemployment remains above 30% nationally

According to Statistics South Africa’s latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey, the official unemployment rate stands at 32.7% in the first quarter of 2026, highlighting continued pressure in the labour market and persistent job scarcity across the country.

The data reflects ongoing economic challenges, particularly affecting young people and job seekers in industrial and urban areas.

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