‘This is the beginning of cleaning our country’: Joburg marchers

“June 30 2026 must be history for the years to come in South Africa,” said Mxolisi Ntombela as thousands of protesters filled Joburg streets on Tuesday. “This is the beginning of cleaning our country.”

For Ntombela, a member of uMkhonto weSizwe and the Labour and Civil Organisation (Laco), the demonstration was not a one-off event but the beginning of what he hopes to be a sustained campaign to pressure government to act against undocumented migration.

“We don’t have a problem with people from other countries. The problem we have is undocumented people,” he said, arguing that the march was intended to send a message to government rather than target documented foreign nationals.

He repeatedly stressed that organisers wanted the demonstration to remain peaceful and called on authorities to take citizens’ concerns seriously.

His sentiments echoed those of many who gathered in central Johannesburg for the June 30 anti-illegal immigration march. Participants said they were driven by concerns about unemployment, crime, drugs — issues they believe are fomented by government’s failure to enforce immigration laws.

Among them was Lizelle Pretorius, who said she marched because she feared for South Africa’s future and believes government ignores the concerns of ordinary citizens.

“We are here for the future of our children, of this country, this beautiful country. We want our voices heard after years of feeling overlooked,” Pretorius told the Sunday Times.

Pretorius said many South Africans felt they had no choice but to take to the streets peacefully.

“We are fighting like our parents used to fight [against apartheid]. We are using toyi-toyi marches. That’s what we know. We were brought up that way,” she told the Sunday Times.

“People are saying we just want to break down and loot. No. We want our government to listen to us and for us to enjoy the fruits of our parents’ labour,” she said.

She said many protesters believe South Africans have not fully enjoyed the benefits of democracy because of corruption, unemployment and weak border management.

Religious leaders also joined the march.

Archbishop Dr Lenkwe Nkgadima said the church could not remain silent when communities were struggling. “We are here to support our people,” he said.

Nkgadima said church leaders had deliberately participated to help ensure the demonstration remained peaceful and free from looting, destruction of property and bloodshed, while giving moral support to communities they serve daily.

While protesters made their voices heard, the march also left a visible mark on Johannesburg’s city centre.

From early Tuesday morning, the CBD was unusually quiet. Informal traders who normally line streets such as Kerk and Rissik were nowhere to be seen, leaving behind empty crates and boxes where stalls would usually stand. Although some formal businesses, including major retailers, remained open, several operated behind partially closed doors.

The uncertainty also affected public transport operators. Taxi drivers and scholar transport operators told Sunday Times earlier in the day that passenger numbers had dropped sharply as many commuters chose to stay home, leaving them to absorb the financial losses.

For most of the day, the march proceeded peacefully under heavy police presence as demonstrators moved through the city chanting slogans and carrying placards.