Mass protests against illegal immigration are set to start on Tuesday across the country.
MK party leader Jacob Zuma. Picture: Gallo Images/Sharon Seretlo
As protests against illegal foreign nationals loom on 30 June, the MK party has drawn a firm line, backing the constitutional right to protest peacefully while denouncing violence, xenophobia and what it called “reckless” attempts by ANC secretary‑general Fikile Mbalula to link Jacob Zuma to unrest.
Mass protests against illegal immigration are set to start on Tuesday across the country.
One of the organisations at the forefront, March and March, set a hard deadline of 30 June for undocumented foreign nationals to leave South Africa.
March and March
Mbalula lashed out at Zuma, accusing him of recklessly backing the March and March movement, inciting violence with the slogan ‘Mabahambe,’ and stoking hostility against fellow Africans.
While Zuma has not personally endorsed the march against foreign nationals to leave the country by 30 June, the MK party said it would be part of the protest against undocumented migrants.
March and March leaders have denied being backed by the MK party.
Blaming Zuma
Mbalula claimed that what was playing out is simply not about immigration and blamed Zuma.
“Jacob Zuma is an elder in this country; he was the president. South Africans are failing to hold him accountable for things that he does and which happened under his watch, and he knows the difficulties of immigration that we’re dealing with.
“And today he is joining the fray, not responsible, irresponsible as an elderly person, a statesman, a man who was a president in this country, standing up on a platform and fuelling violence. ‘Mabahambe’… How can a person who was a leader not so long ago call for violence in the country? Does he know what will happen here? Who wants this violence that is being reported? These people don’t know what they are talking about,” Mbalula claims.
Political reasons
Mbalula claims that Zuma is supporting March and March “for political reasons, because he wants votes.”
“There are many ways to win votes. He won votes, and people followed him. He crippled the ANC, big numbers in Gauteng and KZN. He didn’t do that by violence. Why would you encourage ordinary South Africans to fight other Africans who are illegal in your country?
“What is that going to end with all of us? We should be looking at the state to increase its capacity to deal with this phenomenon,” Mbalula said.
MK supports protests
However, MK party national spokesperson Sifiso Mahlangu reaffirmed the party’s support for the constitutional right to protest peacefully ahead of the 30 June marches, while rejecting violence, xenophobia and attempts to link Zuma to unrest.
“Violence, intimidation, looting, destruction of property or any form of criminal conduct has no place in democratic protest and is unequivocally rejected by the MK party.
Zuma calls for peace
He condemned Mbalula’s remarks as “reckless and inflammatory.”
“Such statements seek to create unnecessary fear, prejudice public opinion and delegitimise the constitutional right of South Africans to protest peacefully before they have even exercised that right.”
Mahlangu stressed that Zuma has consistently called for peaceful political engagement and warned media houses against biased coverage.
The party also rejected tribalism and xenophobia:
“Those who seek to divide South Africans along tribal or ethnic lines are pursuing a dangerous political agenda that has no place in our democracy.”
R600 million on security
Turning to border security, Mahlangu demanded accountability for R600 million to strengthen security measures ahead of the 30 June anti-immigration protest.
“South Africans deserve transparency, accountability, and value for money, not political diversion. We demand a full public accounting of every rand spent.”
Mahlangu said the MK party stands with citizens “exercising their rights peacefully” while insisting the government enforce immigration laws fairly and account for public funds.
