On Tuesday, 30 June 2026 South Africa was on high alert for the planned nationwide shutdown. A majority of people, alongside various organisations have called for demonstrations focusing on illegal immigration and border control.
South Africans are calling for all undocumented migrants to leave the country.
March and March leader, Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma had called on participants in the planned June 30 shutdown targeting undocumented foreign nationals not to engage in looting or violence.
Despite the peaceful march, tensions over immigration escalated in parts of the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, with protests targeting undocumented migrants.
The police said in a statement, “Clashes between South Africans and immigrants have left at least four people dead in recent weeks. More than 25 000 undocumented migrants have already left the country following these events.”
Just recently, Ngobese-Zuma announced that demonstrations against undocumented immigration would be held every Thursday for the next three months until government responded to the movement’s demands.
“For as long as they haven’t left, we are marching every Thursday,” she said. Ngobese-Zuma said the movement had repeatedly sought a meeting with President Ramaphosa but had received no response.
“We’ve sent several requests to meet with him, but he has not responded to any of them,” she said.
Ngobese-Zuma said the movement had repeatedly sought a meeting with President Ramaphosa but had received no response.
“We’ve sent several requests to meet with him, but he has not responded to any of them,” she said.
What we are going to do is that we will just talk to the government so that they (illegal foreign nationals) must leave.”
