Parts of the Boksburg CBD were brought to a standstill on Tuesday as dozens of residents marched through the town centre demanding government action on undocumented immigrants, businesses accused of flouting labour laws, crime, and poor municipal service delivery.

The demonstration took place just days before the proposed nationwide anti-illegal immigration march organised by the civic movement March and March, which is expected to draw support from communities across the country.

Watch key moments from the march, memorandum handovers and inspections conducted by authorities:

Organisers of the Boksburg march said, however, that their campaign is specifically focused on undocumented foreign nationals, labour law compliance and local service delivery concerns.

The march, which drew a strong law enforcement presence, saw protesters hand memorandums of demands to representatives of the Department of Home Affairs, the Department of Employment and Labour, and the City of Ekurhuleni.

Among the demands raised by marchers were stricter enforcement against undocumented immigrants, labour inspections at businesses suspected of employing undocumented foreign nationals, stronger action against crime and drug-related activities, and improved municipal service delivery.

Businesses close amid protest concerns
Several businesses in the CBD closed their doors as the march moved through the area, apparently out of concern that the demonstration could lead to unrest.

However, the march remained peaceful throughout, with members of SAPS, metro police and other law enforcement agencies maintaining a visible presence to ensure public safety.

Addressing concerns about disruptions caused by the march, one of the march organisers, Walter Luthuli, said law-abiding businesses had no reason to fear the demonstration.

“Our march is peaceful and is not directed at businesses that comply with the law. We worked closely with law enforcement and took responsibility for ensuring that the protest remained peaceful,” he said.

Protest prompts inspections at CBD businesses
Representatives from all the relevant government departments gathered at the Boksburg Civic Centre to receive the memorandums on behalf of their respective institutions.

Officials assured marchers that their concerns would be considered and that formal responses would be provided in due course.

The demonstration also resulted in inspections at several businesses identified by protesters. In one instance, marchers called on Department of Home Affairs officials and SAPS members to inspect a wholesale business on Leeuwpoort Street that they alleged employed only foreign nationals who were in the country illegally.

Home Affairs officials subsequently visited the premises and began verifying the documentation and employment status of workers.

The inspection was still underway when this publication left the scene, and the outcome will be reported once it becomes available.

14-day ultimatum issued to authorities
March organiser Walter Luthuli said the group would continue engaging with authorities until their concerns were addressed.

“We are giving the authorities 14 days to respond. If they fail to do so, or if our concerns are not acted upon, we will return with intensified protests until our demands are met,” he said.

Focus on labour law compliance and undocumented immigrants
Luthuli said the group’s concerns extended beyond immigration issues and included what they described as widespread non-compliance with labour laws.

“We have observed that many businesses operating in town are not complying with labour legislation. Some are hiring undocumented immigrants and exploiting them because they are less likely to report labour violations.

“We are calling on the authorities to enforce the law and ensure that every business operating here complies with South African legislation,” he said.

March and March
Responding to questions about the nationwide civic action campaign known as March and March, Luthuli said the organisers supported many of the issues being raised by the movement but maintained that their campaign had a specific focus.

“We support many of the issues raised by March and March. However, our focus is specifically on undocumented foreign nationals.
“We want to make it clear that we are not opposed to people who are in the country legally. If our concerns are not addressed, community members may decide to support the broader campaign,” he said.

Service delivery failures under the spotlight
In addition to their concerns about undocumented immigrants and labour law compliance, protesters also raised several service delivery issues.

These included non-functioning streetlights in the CBD, claims that local residents are overlooked for government-funded temporary employment opportunities, inadequate policing, and deteriorating public infrastructure and public facilities that have allegedly been left neglected and poorly maintained.

Organisers said they would await responses from the relevant departments before deciding on their next course of action.

Authorities yet to respond
At the time of publication, the city, the Department of Home Affairs and the Department of Employment and Labour had not yet provided detailed responses to the issues raised by marchers.

This article will be updated once formal feedback is received from the relevant authorities.
The wholesale business inspected during the march will also be approached for comment. Its response will be included once received.

Demonstrators call on authorities to strengthen law enforcement and improve municipal service delivery.

Law enforcement agencies maintained a strong presence throughout the march to ensure public safety and order.