South African court allows anti-immigration marches in Durban with strict rules
A KwaZulu-Natal High Court ruling permits the March and March group to protest on Friday, limiting demonstrations to specific hours and routes to prevent violence ahead of local elections.
By Luca Harrison ·
Residents of Durban, South Africa, may see organized anti-immigration marches this Friday after a court overturned a police request to ban the events. The KwaZulu-Natal High Court ruled that the March and March group can proceed with its protests, but only under specific conditions designed to maintain public order.
The court imposed strict limitations on the demonstrations. Marchers must follow designated routes and are prohibited from carrying sticks or covering their faces. The protests are confined to a six-hour window, beginning at 9:00 a.m. and ending at 3:00 p.m. local time.
Police had initially sought to block the marches by arguing that protesters intended to set fire to a refugee reception center during a demonstration planned for Thursday. That specific march did not take place after the court issued a temporary order against the protests. National police chief Fannie Masemola stated on Friday that the authorities do not aim to ban legal marches but oppose actions that involve breaking the law, damaging property, or attacking people.
The tension stems from deep-seated frustrations among some South Africans regarding irregular immigration. Protesters have blamed undocumented migrants for high unemployment, strained public services, and elevated crime rates. Several African nations, including Ghana and Nigeria, have repatriated citizens following violence that began weeks before an unofficial June 30 deadline set by the movement for irregular migrants to leave the country.
Violence flared earlier this month when protests over a judicial ruling that eased asylum access turned chaotic. At least 24 cars were burned and shops were looted during those incidents. Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, the leader of March and March, accused the government and police of attempting to strip protesters of their constitutional right to demonstrate.
In response to the unrest, the government recently deployed more than 500 soldiers to KwaZulu-Natal province. With local elections scheduled for next week, the issue of irregular immigration has become a central topic in the political campaign.
