Even after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the government’s five-fold plan to deal with illegal immigration on June 13 amid escalating tensions in the country, scores of Alexandra residents nonetheless took to the streets to march against undocumented migrants.

Residents were demonstrating to reveal their deep-seated concerns about irregular migration, and its effect on security and economic opportunities in the community.

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The president’s comprehensive approach for migration management promised a tough crackdown on undocumented migration, including cracking down on violations of immigration and labour laws, preventing illegal entry through strengthened border security, stamping out corruption in the immigration system, and strengthening immigration laws and policies, among others.

While accepted by some, the plan has been shunned by some residents in Alexandra. On June 16, they marched through the streets of Alexandra, expressing little faith that the plan will deliver the needed immediate relief for residents.

Protesters claimed that they are faced with many challenges linked to illegal immigration.

“There are a lot of challenges, including murders, rape, kidnappings, and drugs,” resident Orapeleng Mashabela said. “It is a lot.”

While the local police have conducted targeted operations and voiced concerns about undocumented migrants, no conclusive public statistics have directly linked irregular migration to crime surges in Alexandra.

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Others expressed scepticism that government interventions would restore economic space for locals in the informal sector. They cited dominance by foreign nationals in spaza shops, hair salons, street vending, and small trading as a barrier to their own participation.

Resident Mzwandile Chemane said their march aims to create opportunities for them to work in those spaces.

“It is so that we can have things of our own. Now, everything is in the hands of foreign nationals. We don’t even know what to do anymore.”

He is among those who believe that when undocumented foreign nationals leave, residents will have local economic opportunities and will live better.

While the protest was called a peaceful protest against undocumented migrants, some protestors moved through the streets banging on doors and forcing many foreign-owned shops to close, though they did not always verify the documentation status of owners.

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In some isolated incidents, the line between documented and undocumented migrants began to blur, as some street vendors and shop-owners were indiscriminately targeted and directly confronted.

Community leader Dumisani Nkosi framed the action as a legitimate call for law enforcement, rather than xenophobia.

“The march was just a call for undocumented foreign nationals to leave the country.”

Yet, speaking at the National Youth Day event at FNB Stadium on the same day, Ramaphosa cautioned against scapegoating foreign nationals for the country’s challenges.

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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