PROVINCIAL SAPS commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has reassured residents that there will be no violence or looting of shops on Tuesday, June 30.

Protests are planned on the day by March and March, who also call for undocumented foreign nationals to leave South Africa.

The much-publicised anti-illegal immigration march has created panic throughout eThekwini and the rest of the country with fears of a repeat of the 2021 July unrest which led to looting.

Related article: eThekwini denies approval for June 30 protest over security concerns

Mkhwanazi, alongside senior police officials including Acting Provincial Commissioner of KwaZulu-Natal Major General Phumelele Makoba and Acting Deputy Provincial Commissioner for Policing Major General Vukani Mgobhozi, met with Nkosiikhona ‘Phakhel’umthakhathi’ Ndabandaba, Inkosi Malusi Zondi of Economic and Cultural Envoy and the General Secretary of Black Business Federation Wonder Jaca at the SAPS KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Headquarters on Thursday night.

During the meeting, the parties discussed the purpose of the marches as well as the need to guard against breaking the law whilst marching.

”Our appeal to organisers of the marches is that they must preach the message of responsible citizenship and discipline during marches. Crime will be dealt with as a crime and the law will take it course. We are here to protect and serve as the SAPS, so the community must feel free to engage us and deliberate on issues for the betterment of our province and country at large,” Mkhwanazi said following the meeting.

Also read: King warns anti-foreigner violence is tarnishing KZN’s image

“We all want illegal foreign nationals to leave because being in the country illegally is a crime. It is for that reason that we arrest scores of undocumented foreign nationals daily. However, no amount of crime calls for any person to be attacked or killed. Patriotism must propel the community to hold us as government accountable, not to destroy property which make our country stand out among most countries. Police will not stop any marches and we shall ensure that those who want to march do so without fear of police,” he said.

Meanwhile President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned against vigilantism, xenophobia and any attempts to destabilise the country.

He made the comments responding to questions at the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) on Thursday on government’s response to illegal immigration and migration management.

“We have made it clear that every person within our borders must be here lawfully. We have also said that responsibility for enforcing our laws rests with the State, and that no individual may stop another to demand documentation or proof of nationality. There is no place for racism, sexism, xenophobia, Afrophobia or any other form of intolerance,” he said.

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