March and March outlines three-month action plan after June 30 protests

The March and March movement says it will intensify its campaign against irregular migration over the next three months, including rolling out more protests, engaging political parties and lobbying municipalities to adopt bylaws reserving township economies for South African citizens.

In a statement on Sunday after a special national executive committee (NEC) meeting on Friday, the movement reflected on the nationwide demonstrations of June 30, thanking South Africans who participated and describing the protests as largely peaceful.

The movement said more than 120 marches took place across the country and claimed that more than 98% were incident-free. It credited civic organisations, political parties and police with helping to prevent violence and looting.

It also cautioned against what it described as “main character syndrome”, saying no individual or organisation should claim sole credit for the demonstrations. The movement added that women should not be relegated to secondary roles in the campaign against irregular migration.

The NEC adopted a three-month action plan that includes further peaceful demonstrations, pickets and blitz operations in key economic centres across the country.

The movement said it also intends to convene a national dialogue in Gauteng on the causes and impact of irregular migration and possible solutions. It plans to meet political parties, including the ATM, UDM and NFP, to seek common ground on immigration policies and the enforcement of existing laws.

It said it would also engage municipalities and the department of co-operative governance and traditional affairs to advocate for bylaws reserving township economies for South African citizens.

It also announced plans to engage the South African Police Service and department of home affairs on operations targeting central business districts and properties allegedly occupied unlawfully by foreign nationals. The statement specifically referred to Nigerians, saying such operations would form part of what it called a “massive deportation strategy”.

The movement further plans to establish a public reporting campaign encouraging people to submit information about companies allegedly employing foreign nationals unlawfully. It said the information would be compiled and handed to authorities for investigation.

The NEC encouraged members to continue participating in peaceful mass action, saying sustained public pressure was necessary to persuade the government to respond to its demands.

Addressing recent discussions about a meeting between some activists and President Cyril Ramaphosa, the movement said it was not involved in arranging the engagement and was unaware of its agenda.

It said individuals were free to meet the president or other political leaders without requiring approval from the organisation, adding it would not speculate about the purpose of the meeting.

The movement called on South Africans to unite against what it described as lawlessness, irregular migration and inequality, saying it would continue its campaign through peaceful mobilisation.

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