By Selloane Ntshonyane
- March and March told a Johannesburg briefing on Wednesday that all June 30 action will be peaceful and within the law, with no links to any political party.
- Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia said on Monday that policing June 30 will cost more than R600 million, money he said would otherwise have gone to police stations and communities.
The March and March Movement has given the government six days.
Respond to our concerns about illegal immigration before June 30, the movement said at a joint civil society briefing in Johannesburg on Wednesday, or people will take to the streets.
Movement spokesperson Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma said all protest action must stay peaceful and within the law. She said the movement is not linked to any political party and called on the government to prioritise South Africans for services and jobs.
She said undocumented migrants should return home and sort out their papers there.
Ngobese-Zuma said the government is not doing enough on immigration enforcement and questioned why South Africa has only around 800 immigration officers. She said many of those officers are not doing their jobs properly.
She also rejected claims circulating on social media that the movement is funded by Israel, saying it runs on local donations.
“Have you ever asked us for bank statements and we said no? We have bank statements where people donate,” Ngobese-Zuma said.
The briefing came two days after Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia confirmed that policing the June 30 protests will cost more than R600 million. Cachalia said that money would normally go to police stations and community policing.
“Money that would otherwise have been deployed to improve safety in communities and police stations now has to be spent on ensuring we have the resources to deal with this protest action,” Cachalia said.
Cachalia added that SAPS is ready to respond to any violence or destruction of property, and that the South African National Defence Force may also be deployed if needed.
The movement said it is hoping for a government response before the deadline.
Pictured above: March and March Movement spokesperson Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma addresses a joint civil society briefing in Johannesburg on Wednesday, 24 June 2026.
Image source: Supplied
