Calm has been restored to the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands town of Estcourt following sporadic incidents of looting on Friday that targeted shops owned by foreign nationals. Anti-illegal immigration movement March and March has appealed to its supporters for peace, restraint, and orderly behavior ahead of the June 30 deadline for undocumented immigrants to return to their home countries.
Image: SUPPLIED
Anti-illegal immigration movement March and March founder Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma has appealed for peace and restraint following the sporadic looting of shops owned by foreign nationals in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands town of Estcourt on Friday.
In a message directed at supporters of the anti-illegal immigration movement, Ngobese-Zuma urged residents not to resort to criminality despite growing frustrations over illegal immigration.
“I know that you are angry, but do not give our detractors an advantage by looting. Because we do not want them (undocumented immigrants), let us remove them without fighting, looting, arson or violence. This is what they want, so that they can gain sympathy and make it appear as though we are harassing them, when it is they who are causing harm in our country. I am begging you to behave,” she said.
Her call for calm was echoed by prominent activist and March and March supporter Nkosikhona “Phakel’umthakathi” Ndabandaba, who stressed that the movement’s June 30 deadline for undocumented nationals to return home was “not an event” and should not be interpreted as a call for violence, looting or xenophobic unrest.
Ndabandaba, who leads the Insizwa Ngobunsizwa Development Foundation and works alongside March and March on issues relating to undocumented immigrants, sought to allay fears that the approaching deadline could trigger widespread unrest.
He said the date was intended to place pressure on government to address concerns around illegal immigration rather than encourage forced removals.
“We are not suggesting that on June 30 South Africans will demand that foreigners leave. We announced this date on December 7, 2025, giving people six months to prepare because we know they have families, investments and lives here. But they remain in the country illegally,” he said.
The appeal came after calm was restored in Estcourt following the looting of six shops owned by foreign nationals.
The unrest followed a ruling by the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Wednesday ordering Inkosi Langalibalele Local Municipality Mayor Mduduzi “Sobholenyoni” Myeza to remove social media posts relating to foreign nationals.
Eighty eight businesspeople in Estcourt had filed an urgent application to gag Myeza.
Myeza has maintained his stance that undocumented foreign national shop owners should leave the town by May 27, and the businesspeople took him to court on May 26. He addressed the media on Thursday ahead of the launch of the Social Employment Fund Initiative at Estcourt Town Hall.
Anti-illegal immigration movement March and March has appealed to its supporters for calm following looting in KwaZulu-Natal Midlands town of Estcourt on Friday.
Image: SUPPLIED
Acting KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Major General Phumelele Makoba said law enforcement agencies had intensified operational planning and intelligence gathering amid threats of road blockades and possible unrest.
She confirmed that police responded to the looting of six foreign-owned shops in the Estcourt CBD.
“Calm has been restored in the area and no injuries were reported. The looting is suspected to be linked to tensions arising from the recent court case involving foreign nationals and the mayor,” Makoba said.
She added that police planned to engage with the mayor’s office as part of efforts to prevent further unrest.
Makoba also said police had drawn lessons from previous truck-related protests in KwaZulu-Natal that caused widespread disruption and infrastructure damage.
“The province of KwaZulu-Natal still bears vivid memories of the disruptions and destruction caused by protest actions organised by the All Truck Drivers Forum,” she said.
While acknowledging citizens’ constitutional right to protest, Makoba warned that police would act decisively against criminal conduct.
“Any march that turns violent through road blockades, damage to infrastructure or any form of public violence will be dealt with by police. We are duty-bound to enforce the laws of this country,” she said.
The acting commissioner also cautioned communities against taking the law into their own hands by stopping people, conducting searches or demanding identification documents.
“Only police officers are legally empowered to search individuals and request identification documents. No civilian has that authority,” she said.
Makoba reiterated that police operations targeting undocumented immigrants and businesses employing undocumented foreign nationals were continuing across the province.
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