Why Limpopo Is Rejecting the March and March Movement: The History Behind Ba-Phalaborwa’s Response
BA-PHALABORWA | As anti-immigration demonstrations continue to gain momentum across parts of South Africa, one province has emerged as a notable exception. In Limpopo, particularly in the mining town of Ba-Phalaborwa, the March and March Movement has failed to secure the widespread support seen elsewhere.
The reasons extend far beyond contemporary politics. They are rooted in decades of shared history, war, displacement and communities that have built lives together across borders.
The issue came into sharp focus during Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba’s fifth day of service delivery engagements, when hundreds of residents handed over a memorandum. In response, Ramathuba made it clear that she did not support the operation of the March and March Movement in the province.
Her remarks have sparked debate, but understanding her position requires looking back at the history of Mozambican refugees who settled in Limpopo during one of Africa’s most devastating conflicts.
A history written by war
Humulani Village, situated under the Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality, lies roughly two hours from the Giriyondo Border Post between South Africa and Mozambique. It is one of several communities shaped by the arrival of thousands of Mozambicans fleeing civil war.
Mozambique descended into conflict in 1977, just two years after gaining independence from Portugal on 25 June 1975 following a liberation struggle led by FRELIMO.
The civil war pitted the ruling FRELIMO government against the RENAMO rebel movement. Lasting until 1992, the conflict became one of Africa’s deadliest wars.
Political divisions, Cold War rivalries and regional power struggles fuelled the violence. FRELIMO received support from the Soviet Union and its allies, while RENAMO was initially backed by the white minority government in Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, before later receiving support from apartheid South Africa.
The human cost was catastrophic.
More than one million people died through violence, famine and disease. Around five million people were displaced within Mozambique, while hundreds of thousands sought safety in neighbouring countries, including South Africa, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Eswatini.
Limpopo became a place of refuge
During the 1980s, particularly between 1984 and 1988, thousands of Mozambicans crossed into South Africa through the Kruger National Park, escaping the violence unfolding in their homeland.
Many settled permanently in Bushbuckridge, Ba-Phalaborwa, Majeje, Humulani, Giyani, Malamulele and other parts of Limpopo and Mpumalanga.
These communities have since become home to generations of families whose lives are deeply intertwined with those of South African citizens.
Following the end of the civil war in 1992, the former Prime Minister of Gazankulu, Professor Hudson Ntsanwisi, played a significant role in negotiations with the apartheid government to secure permanent residence for Mozambican refugees.
After South Africa’s democratic transition in 1994, many of these refugees obtained permanent residence or South African citizenship through special government arrangements. While many families regularised their status, others continue to face documentation challenges decades later.
Understanding the Machangani and VaTsonga identity
Within these communities, Mozambican refugees are commonly identified as Machangani, while those originating in South Africa are known as VaTsonga.
The combined VaTsonga-Machangani identity has historical roots dating back to 1961 during the apartheid era.
As the apartheid government sought to establish ethnically defined homelands, Tsonga-speaking communities adopted a broader shared identity alongside their Ndwandwe and Shangaan counterparts. This helped prevent forced assimilation into the Pedi, Swati and Venda homelands.
Today, these shared historical ties continue to shape social relationships across Limpopo and Mpumalanga.
Why Ba-Phalaborwa stands apart
Against this historical backdrop, resistance to the March and March Movement in Ba-Phalaborwa reflects more than a political disagreement.
For many residents, the debate over immigration is inseparable from memories of war, refuge and decades of coexistence. Families who fled violence in Mozambique have become neighbours, colleagues and relatives, creating communities where the lines between refugee and citizen have blurred over generations.
It is this unique history that continues to distinguish Ba-Phalaborwa from many other parts of South Africa, and may explain why calls for anti-immigration mobilisation have found far less support in this corner of Limpopo.
As national debates around immigration intensify, the province’s response serves as a reminder that history often shapes public sentiment as much as present-day politics.
