By Selloane Ntshonyane
- Organisers handed a memorandum to City of Johannesburg officials at UBC Civic Centre, giving the government 30 working days to respond.
- A 48-year-old barber from Maputo kept his Soweto shop closed during the march, saying he feared for his safety.
Hundreds of people marched through Soweto on Monday, ending at the UBC Civic Centre in Jabulani where organisers handed a memorandum to City of Johannesburg officials.
The march was organised by United South Africans under United Civic Organisations. It started at Thokoza Park and moved through parts of Soweto before reaching the civic centre.
Organiser Sbongile Mpanza said the march was about pushing the government to enforce immigration law.
“We are in this mess because the government didn’t enforce the law,” she said. “We can’t have so many illegal foreigners in the country that are not accounted for.”
Mpanza said organisers want the government to declare a state of emergency. She pointed to Sherwood in Durban, where she said the number of Malawian nationals expected grew from around 7,000 to 30,000, as proof the situation is out of control.
The memorandum, read out by organiser Musa Hlongwa, calls for tighter border security, workplace inspections, and action against spaza shops and informal businesses allegedly run by undocumented foreign nationals. It also calls for stricter checks in health and education services.
The government has 30 working days to respond.
Not far from the march, a 48 year old barber from Maputo kept his shop closed. He has worked in Soweto for years and said he did not open because he feared for his safety.
He said he needs to earn money to pay rent and support his family. He said everything he does is legal.
“People should help each other,” he said, “not hate one another.”
Outside Jabulani Mall and Jabulani Hospital, the informal traders who usually work there were gone. The area was quiet.
Pictured above: Protesters marching to the UBC Civic Centre in Jabulani,Soweto.
Image source: Selloane Ntshonyane
