‘The fight is not over,’ say marchers after anti-immigration protest

As anti-illegal immigrant protesters ended their march with music and celebrations at a popular food market in Kwa Mai Mai in Jeppestown, Johannesburg, on Tuesday, participants said their campaign was far from over and called on the government to respond to their demands.

Some warned they would take further action if they did not see change.

Bhekumuzi Luthuli, who lives in Cleveland, said the fight is not over. He wants South Africans to regain ownership of flats and RDP houses that are allegedly owned by foreign nationals.

“Where I stay, there is an influx of Nigerians who don’t even have the right papers. How can you rent to a foreign national in your own country? How did they gain ownership of our houses?” he said.

Luthuli said they would wait for the government to respond to their demands. “If there is no change in a month’s time, we will take the law into our own hands, forcefully this time,” he said.

He said if the government keeps quiet, it must be prepared because “blood shall be shed, and it will be ugly”.

Another marcher, Bongani Mthethwa from KwaNongoma in KwaZulu-Natal, said now that their protest march was over, they would wait for President Cyril Ramaphosa to respond.

“South Africans have fought. Our cries have been heard. It is time for our president to act,” he said.

Mthethwa has worked as a truck driver for 23 years and claimed that his employers prefer hiring foreign nationals because they accept lower wages.

He said he had spent the past 13 years fighting against low pay.

“Foreigners don’t mind being underpaid because they don’t pay tax. The last time I got a raise was in 2012. I only get a raise when I work overtime,” he claimed.

“Foreign nationals are cheaper labourers who are making it difficult for South African workers to negotiate better salaries.”

He said he was expecting action from the president on Wednesday.

“We are expecting our president to address the nation and instruct foreigners to leave our country so more job opportunities can open for our people,” he said.

Mandlenkosi Dlamini from Denver, Johannesburg, said he was hopeful that the government would listen to the concerns raised during the march.

“We can only plead and cry so much. Change needs to prevail,” he said.

Ngizwe Mchunu, who led the march, thanked supporters for attending.

“Thank you for your support. Till we meet again,” he said.

TimesLIVE