Protesters against illegal immigrants in Mamelodi on Tuesday vowed to continue monitoring the situation in the area “until all undocumented foreigners have gone back to their countries”.

Although the protests were peaceful, foreign spaza shop owners felt compelled to shut down their shops for fear of looting.

Law enforcement escorted the protesters to Waltloo companies, where the group suspected businesses were employing illegal foreigners in violation of South African labour laws.

One participant, who identified himself only as Nkosi, said the protest was peaceful and aimed at demanding compliance.

“We visited companies to check whether they comply with South Africa’s employment laws.

“Unemployment rates are high in South Africa, and our fellow South Africans are not working – especially the youth,” Nkosi added.

Nkosi said the March and March campaign was not a once-off effort; “We will involve the Department of Home Affairs to assist in our campaign.”

Sipho Khoza, a resident of Mamelodi, said the South African government had failed people from the beginning by allowing large numbers of foreigners to enter the country.

Khoza said residents had complained for years about undocumented foreigners committing crimes and taking jobs, but the government had done nothing to resolve the situation.

The protesters said it was best for citizens to chase away foreigners themselves, reclaim their country, and stop voting for governments that make empty promises.

Secretary-General of #NotInMyName International, Themba Masango, said South Africa’s immigration challenges require a permanent regional solution.

Masango said the organisation believes the immigration challenges cannot continue to be viewed solely as a domestic issue.

“It is fundamentally a regional governance crisis that demands an honest, co-ordinated and sustainable response from the Southern African Development Community (SADC),” Masango said.

He added that the growing pressure on public services, infrastructure and institutions reflects a broader regional failure.

Concerns were raised about why Zimbabwe has become the primary source of prolonged displacement in the region and whether South Africa alone can sustainably shoulder the consequences of another country’s political and socio-economic challenges.

Masango said the organisation maintains that the central issue is not nationality, ethnicity or xenophobia, but legality, orderly migration and respect for the sovereignty of states.

“With an estimated one million Zimbabwean nationals forming part of more than three million immigrants residing in South Africa, the current situation reflects an urgent need for stronger migration management, regional co-operation and effective border governance,” he said.

#NotInMyName International reiterated that advocating for lawful migration should never be misconstrued as hostility towards fellow Africans.

It added that every sovereign nation has the right and responsibility to regulate entry into its territory through lawful documentation and established immigration processes.

“This same principle applies across the African continent and globally.”

The organisation further affirmed its unwavering commitment to Pan-Africanism.

“A united Africa must be built upon accountable leadership, economic stability, shared responsibility and functional regional institutions,” Masango said.

He concluded by calling on the government to urgently convene a comprehensive regional dialogue to develop a permanent and co-ordinated framework to address irregular migration, strengthen governance, promote economic stability, and ensure that responsibility for regional migration is shared equitably among member states.

The residents vowed to continue protesting against undocumented foreigners and warned landlords who were keeping undocumented immigrants on their properties to stop, saying it is against the law.

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