March and March plans South African protests on immigration and gender-based violence

South Africa’s March and March movement is preparing demonstrations in several provinces on September 30, combining its demand for the removal of undocumented migrants with a newly prominent campaign against gender-based violence, femicide and crime.

The action follows nationwide protests held on June 30. The movement had already announced that it would return to the streets three months later, with undocumented immigration at the centre of its platform. In recent days, however, organizers have said the immediate focus will also include a men’s march against violence against women.

Large gatherings are expected in Pretoria and Durban, while events are planned or being discussed in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Limpopo and other parts of the country. Organizers say they intend to submit a memorandum to government representatives and have called for the protests to remain peaceful.

The renewed attention to gender-based violence comes after a series of killings, including mass shootings reported in Gauteng and the Western Cape. The movement has urged men to take a public stand against violence rather than treating it as an issue affecting women alone. Its immigration campaign remains active, and the September 30 demonstrations are still being presented as a national day of action against what the group describes as the government’s failure to control undocumented migration.

The protests are taking place amid a wider government enforcement drive. Authorities have reported large-scale inspections, arrests and preparations for deportation processing, while saying that border controls and checks are being expanded. Officials have also condemned confrontations involving protesters, migrants and police in Durban.

The city has become one of the most sensitive locations ahead of the planned action. More than 100 March and March supporters recently gathered near a camp outside Home Affairs refugee offices, where migrants had been staying for several months. Police formed a barrier between the groups after previous clashes in the area. The demonstration ended without a reported incident, although some participants were seen carrying sticks, traditional whips and face coverings.

The migrants later agreed to move to the Lindela Repatriation Centre. They said government departments had confirmed that many members of the group held refugee documentation, a claim that has added to tensions over how immigration status is assessed and enforced.

Police have told March and March supporters to operate within the law during the September 30 events. Authorities have said ordinary law-enforcement procedures will apply and that no additional policing budget has been set aside specifically for the demonstrations. The police position is that public order operations will continue as normal rather than being treated as an exceptional national security deployment.

The movement’s previous national action was associated with arrests, disruption to businesses and at least one death, according to local reporting. That record has increased concern among officials and communities that the immigration-focused part of the campaign could encourage intimidation or xenophobic violence, particularly in places where migrants and protesters have already confronted one another.

March and March leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma has described September 30 as a deadline for government action on the group’s demands. The movement has not abandoned its call for undocumented foreigners to leave South Africa, but its latest messaging seeks to place that demand alongside public anger over violent crime and the killing of women.

For authorities, the challenge will be to protect the right to protest while preventing attacks on migrants, clashes with police and disruptions to businesses and public services. For residents and migrant communities in cities such as Durban and Pretoria, the scale and tone of the demonstrations will determine whether the expanded agenda produces a broader campaign against violence or further inflames tensions around immigration.