‘Mabahambe’: eMalahleni marchers take to the streets with one clear message

The streets of eMalahleni were flooded with residents marching for change.

June 30, 2026

Simangele Khoza 1 minute read

The streets of eMalahleni fell silent to everything but the footsteps and voices of determined residents as they joined a massive, nationwide anti-migration protest led by the March and March movement.

Building on momentum from a June 4 demonstration, locals marched from the park near Witbank Hospital to the municipal building. Their mission? To hand over a hard-hitting memorandum demanding the departure of undocumented foreign nationals from the city.

Organisers emphasised that the demonstration is part of co-ordinated national action to address deep-seated community concerns over the socio-economic impact of unlawful immigration.

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According to the memorandum, a lack of border and law enforcement has led to a rise in organised crime, including drug and human trafficking, putting South African citizens at risk.

The streets of eMalahleni were filled with residents marching for change.

Nkangala District Mayor Thomas Ngwenya officially received the memorandum and acknowledged the community’s frustrations, admitting to strain on local infrastructure and the economy.

“We are also concerned as the government because this impacts unemployment and service delivery,” Ngwenya said. “We need to work together to ensure that our law enforcement strictly enforces the laws of the country.”

The anti-illegal immigration march is underway in eMalahleni
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