A R600 million security operation and heavy police presence averted widespread unrest as thousands of March and March protesters marched through Pretoria to Sunnyside SAPS station yesterday.For weeks, tension in the capital city was high due to an unofficial deadline set by the anti-illegal immigration movement, raising fears of past civil unrest.
Instead of the feared riots, the day’s main story was strict containment. Law enforcement locked down Sunnyside after organisers shifted tactics from protesting government offices to marching directly into migrant-dense communities.This massive police deployment was visible throughout the day, successfully preventing the targeted march from turning into neighbourhood clashes.
March and March Gauteng leader Sandile Dube said the route was “symbolic” and a direct message to residents in Sunnyside.“The Gauteng province is leading when it comes to illegal immigrants and they are resistant,” Dube said, noting coordinated actions across Johannesburg, Pretoria, Soweto, and Cosmo City.“Symbolically, we are taking our marches to the centres of where the illegal immigrants are found. We are taking our march unapologetically to Sunnyside to make a statement,” he said.
Dube also called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to declare a “state of disaster” over illegal immigration, warning that the country is sitting on a “ticking time bomb”.He said by framing immigration as a national disaster, the movement is trying to force extraordinary state intervention to bypass normal legislative channels.The march ended peacefully at Sunnyside SAPS station after a memorandum was handed over.
