As anti-illegal immigration marches swept across various parts of South Africa, residents of Alexandra intensified their demonstrations, taking to the streets to demand action against undocumented foreigners on June 16.

The protests reflect mounting community anger over what many perceive as the negative impact of irregular migration on local security and economic opportunities.

Residents cited a litany of challenges, including violent crime, as a reason for their march.
While the local police station has not released conclusive statistical evidence directly linking illegal immigration to the surge in crime, officers have voiced repeated concerns about undocumented migrants in the past and have conducted several targeted arrest operations in the area.

On Tuesday, protesters insisted that their grievances are rooted in lived realities rather than prejudice. “It is tough here at home; it is not like we hate them [foreigners],” Mashabela added.

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Protesters moved through the streets, banging on doors and compelling foreign-owned shops to close.

While they maintained that they are marching against illegal immigration, on Tuesday, they didn’t ascertain if shop owners they are forcing to close are documented or not. Most foreign-owned establishments were shut under the watch of heavy police deployments.

In isolated incidents, some foreign nationals received threats, while some street traders encountered confrontations, including protesters extinguishing a fast-food stand’s fire with a bucket of water.

Songs and chants during the marches carried profane and aggressive undertones, although the events largely avoided mass violence.

Many believe the departure of foreign nationals would create breathing space for South Africans to reclaim dominance in the informal economy, spanning spaza shops, hair salons, street vending, and small trading businesses.

“We have to make sure that we do this, so that we can also try and live better,” said resident Mzandile Chemane, justifying their action.

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Community leader Dumisani Nkosi, who is among those who usually try to maintain order during such marches, described the march as a legitimate call for stricter law enforcement rather than xenophobia. “The march was just a call for undocumented foreign nationals to leave the country,” he said, urging government intervention.

Meanwhile, President Cyril Ramaphosa, during his keynote address at the National Youth Day event at FNB Stadium, cautioned against scapegoating foreigners.

“There are some who blame the problems of unemployment, crime and poor service delivery on foreign nationals,” he stated.

While acknowledging the need to tackle undocumented migration decisively, Ramaphosa stressed that South Africa’s core challenges remain domestic and require local solutions through collective effort.

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