More than 10 shops and several informal traders have closed their businesses around the Pan Africa Shopping Centre precinct ahead of the anticipated June 30 march.

The anti-illegal immigration protests have already disrupted the area in the past, most recently on June 16, when scores of demonstrators swept through the precinct, telling shop owners to shut down.

On Monday (June 29), some informal traders who were still operating said their colleagues had chosen to close due to mounting fear of being targeted.

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Concerns are growing that protesters, while claiming to demonstrate against illegal immigration, are targeting shop owners indiscriminately.

“They don’t even check if people have proper documents or not. They disrupt everyone,” said France Ngema, who has traded in the area for over three decades.

Ngema explained that this is why he, along with other traders, has decided not to trade on Tuesday.

“Everyone says they are not going to trade tomorrow. They are afraid. Even I am not going to open because I don’t want to lose my stock,” he said.

Meanwhile, as protesters prepare to voice their grievances about illegal immigration on Tuesday, President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged that the concerns are real and deserve to be heard.

“The right to protest is enshrined in our Constitution. It is a credit to our robust democratic order that people are able to express their grievances openly. But the right to protest and freedom of expression do not allow people to threaten or intimidate others, or to engage in acts of vandalism or violence,” Ramaphosa said in a statement on Monday.

He emphasised that citizens have a responsibility to pursue change peacefully and within the framework of the Constitution. Where criminal conduct occurs, he said, those responsible will be held accountable.

Ramaphosa assured that law enforcement authorities are prepared to defend the rule of law.

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Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia confirmed that police are ready to ensure the protests take place in a safe, secure, and orderly environment. In a video shared by SAPS on social media, he urged organisers and participants to cooperate with authorities to ensure that June 30 proceeds peacefully.

Community leader Dumisani Nkosi, who has played a key role in keeping previous protests in Alexandra peaceful, confirmed that they will lead a community-wide demonstration tomorrow.

Nkosi said that while efforts are being made to ease tensions and keep the march within the law, frustration grows due to the government’s reluctance to increase visibility on the ground and enforce immigration laws.

Ramaphosa acknowledged that government systems must be corrected where they have failed. “Where corruption has enabled illegal immigration, those responsible must be held accountable. Where enforcement has been inadequate, it must improve,” he said.

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