MARCH and March has warned government and African leaders to prepare for a second wave of mass deportations of undocumented foreign nationals from South Africa.

Setting September 30 as a deadline, March and March leader Jacinta Ngobese Zuma delivered the message to Southern African leaders on Monday when the anti-illegal immigration movement marched through the Durban CBD to picket outside the 46th SADC Summit.

Marching under the theme ‘It’s Time to Fetch Your People’, the movement’s national spokesperson Sandile Dube said the message was clear.

“They must go,” said Dube. “We are calling on heads of state to prepare for a massive deportation of all illegal foreign nationals in South Africa by September 30.”

Also Read: March and March pickets SADC Summit

Calling it a National Day of Action, the movement said the demonstrations would be bigger and better organised than those witnessed across the country on June 30.

“These are their presidents who are attending the summit, they must make them account for what is happening in their countries that has forced them to come and live in South Africa illegally,” said Dube.

March and March sets September 30 deportation deadline

The call was supported by hundreds of protesters who joined the picket on Monday. The crowd, which was accompanied by a large police contingent, had to be diverted from their original route through the Durban CBD amid security concerns.

The supporters, some draped in the South African flag, held up placards and banners saying ‘No to Illegal Immigration’ while calling for undocumented foreign nationals to “go back home” as they walked through the CBD from Durban City Hall.

Also Read: SAHRC takes March and March leaders to court

“They must go back to their own countries and apply to come back to South Africa legally. We are not a Banana Republic where people can do as they please,” said Musa Msomi, who was among the protesters.

While addressing the movement’s supporters, Ngobese Zuma said that March and March has approached AfriForum “to learn their ways” as they ramp up their efforts towards private prosecutions and building their own private education institutions.

March and March seeks AfriForum lessons

Ngobese Zuma said the two entities share many issues of common interest while there are also matters on which they will disagree.

“The relationship is therefore based on mutual respect, with both parties agreeing to complement and challenge one another in pursuit of the shared objective of building a united South Africa that acknowledges diversity,” said Ngobese Zuma.

Also Read: March and March marks one year with Durban protest

Kriel emphasised that AfriForum already collaborates with a range of organisations and communities that share its commitment to building a better future for the people of the country.

“One can choose to co-operate where we agree and where we share common interests. We cannot allow differences on specific matters to stand in the way of co-operation that would benefit our children. There are times when it is necessary to protest against the government’s failures, but it is even more important to use the hands at the end of our arms to build the future we want.”

He added, “AfriForum is willing to share, humbly and openly, what has worked and what has not worked for us during the past 20 years as we built this organisation from the ground up to a membership of 300 000. We look forward to working with March and March in their effort to establish a community-focused organisation that can improve the lives of ordinary people at grassroots level.”

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