March on March: Activists to rally against illegal immigration in Durban
Image: Facebook
THE March on March movement is gearing towards another demonstration this Friday in Durban's CBD, as it continues to tackle the the contentious issue of illegal immigration in South Africa, head on.
Organised by activist Xolani Zuma, the rally seeks to amplify the voices of local citizens who believe the growing influx of immigrants was a strain on the country's limited resources and complicating local issues, including crime rates and healthcare provision.
According to Zuma, the demonstration not only advocated for prioritising citizens' needs, but also calls for the arrest and prosecution of officials allegedly complicit in allowing undocumented immigrants into the country.
'The government has very limited resources to provide healthcare for South Africans, and the increase in the number of undocumented immigrants puts more strain on the shallow public purse,' he stated.
Upholding these sentiments, the March on March movement has emerged from grassroots origins, initiated on Facebook by founder Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, in response to rising concerns over illegal immigration.
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The movement aims to address what they perceived as a deteriorating safety environment for South Africans, attributing rising crime rates, drug trafficking, and human trafficking to the growing number of undocumented immigrants.
Additionally, Zuma raised alarming concerns about local law enforcement's struggles in identifying offenders, amid claims that some officials were selling identities to illegal immigrants.
As tensions mounted, observers wondered how the ruling ANC would respond, particularly in light of escalating friction between the party and Ngobese-Zuma.
As the movement prepared for Friday's demonstration, it also faced scrutiny from the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC).
The Commission has openly condemned the movement's actions, particularly the involvement of volunteers asking patients for identification at KwaZulu-Natal hospitals to determine their legal status.
The SAHRC insisted that access to healthcare was a universal right protected by the Constitution, warning against any attempts to deny medical care based on nationality.
Ngobese-Zuma was also considering legal action against the ANC's leadership in KZN after the party failed to retract a controversial statement, where it allegedly, amongst other things accused her with calling for their "lynching".
She said the ANC's remarks were misleading and damaging to her reputation.
'The statement is not only unfortunate; it is riddled with misleading statements that have the effect of eroding my good name,' she said
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