Tensions Peak in Durban as Protesters and Human Rights Activists Square Off Over Congolese Migrant Camp
Standoff conditions reached a boiling point along Moore Road (Che Guevara Road) on Thursday as hundreds of anti-immigration protesters converged on a long-standing encampment of Congolese nationals, sparking an immediate intervention by civil rights activists and religious leaders.
The demonstration, spearheaded by the March and March Movement, has intensified local political divisions.
Lawyer Xolani Zuma, head of the legal litigation wing known as the SA First Forum and husband to March and March founder Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, issued a direct warning to the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government.
Zuma stated that the forum would take decisive action if the state provides formal accommodation to the Congolese nationals, arguing that the government has failed to prioritize its own citizens—specifically the local residents left homeless by the devastating April 2022 Durban floods who are still living without permanent housing.
As demonstrators moved closer to the makeshift camp outside the Department of Home Affairs Refugee Reception Office, a coalition of religious figures and high-profile activists, including Ela Gandhi, positioned themselves at the site to establish a protective shield around the vulnerable foreign nationals.
The confrontation highlights an escalating national debate over immigration enforcement, humanitarian responsibilities, and resource allocation in South Africa.
While the SA First Forum and March and March protesters demand that municipal bylaws be strictly enforced to clear the pavements and prioritize South African citizens, human rights defenders warn against vigilante-style evictions and are calling for institutional protection for the displaced refugees.
Law enforcement personnel have been heavily deployed to the area to serve as a physical barrier between the opposing factions and prevent a repetition of the violent clashes that left several injured during previous weeks.
