Image Source: GroundUp
Local – Following Tuesday’s protests and the March and March movement’s vow to continue demonstrating, the Presidency said it is not worried, as it has been handling demonstrations since the beginning of June.
Thousands took to the streets on Tuesday, calling for undocumented migrants to leave South Africa. While the day was largely peaceful, isolated pockets of violence were reported in some areas, prompting law enforcement to step in where necessary.
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, speaking during an Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration on Tuesday, said security structures had been monitoring the demonstrations throughout June.
“We’ve been making sure that those demonstrations are safe and those demonstrations are peaceful. Where there were interventions needed, law enforcement agencies and the security infrastructure intervened,” she said.
Protest Groups Not Backing Down
The demonstrations, organised by anti-illegal immigration groups, were built on allegations that undocumented migrants strain the economy, take jobs from South Africans and drive-up crime.
The March and March movement, led by Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, wrapped up its Durban leg of the protest on Tuesday, warning that it has no plans to stop.
“Even if it’s 20 to 30 people, the protest shall happen. We’re giving the government three months for the Thursday protests. As I said before, this thing is like being in a boxing ring. You can’t give out all your energy at once. We did one burst of energy on 30 June, now we’re on to round two, and then we’ll move on to round three,” she said.
Demonstrations were held simultaneously in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban and in the Eastern Cape, with Ngobese-Zuma calling the turnout a success.
