AfriForum and the March and March Movement have formed a collaborative working group aimed at tackling illegal migration, crime, failing border controls and other challenges affecting communities across South Africa.

The partnership was announced following a meeting between delegations from the two organisations on Tuesday, 18 August 2026.

March and March founder Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma led her organisation’s delegation in talks with AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel and other representatives of the civil rights organisation.

ILLEGAL MIGRATION AND BORDER CONTROL IN FOCUS

The organisations agreed to explore cooperation on legal matters, community safety, education, skills development and the fight against crime, including issues connected to illegal migration.

March and March warned that unsecured borders were placing additional pressure on South Africa’s struggling economy.

“The skyrocketing trade in illicit goods is affecting businesses and may result in job losses,” the movement said.

It also argued that crime, corruption and alleged incompetence within government required urgent intervention from community-based organisations.

The two groups discussed what they described as the effective collapse of border control and inadequate crime prevention, which they said had left communities under persistent threat.

UNLIKELY PARTNERSHIP DRAWS ATTENTION

The cooperation between AfriForum and March and March is likely to attract significant public and political attention because the organisations come from different cultural and historical constituencies.

Ngobese-Zuma said their relationship would be based on mutual respect, recognising that the two organisations would not agree on every issue.

She said both parties intended to cooperate where they shared common interests while challenging one another when necessary.

According to Ngobese-Zuma, March and March supports a united South Africa founded on ubuntu, respect for cultural and religious beliefs, universal human rights and the rule of law.

AFRIFORUM BLAMES ANC-LED GOVERNMENT

AfriForum’s Head of Intercultural Relations and Cooperation, Barend Uys, blamed poor government policies and what he called “obsolete ideologies” for several challenges affecting communities across the Southern African Development Community region.

Uys accused the ANC-led government of failing to encourage regional policies that could improve conditions in neighbouring countries and reduce unlawful migration into South Africa.

He further alleged that the government had failed to place citizens’ interests first, saying communities would have to hold authorities accountable while building solutions themselves.

These remain AfriForum’s assertions, and the ANC or government had not responded to the statement at the time of publication.

COMMUNITY SAFETY AND EDUCATION

The organisations identified several possible areas of cooperation, including:

• Community organisation and capacity building
• Lawful measures to improve community safety
• Legal action on matters of shared interest
• Mother-tongue education
• Training and skills development
• Agricultural development
• Preservation of cultural identity and heritage
• Peaceful coexistence between communities

Kriel said AfriForum was prepared to share lessons from its development over the past 20 years into an organisation claiming approximately 300,000 members.

He said differences on specific matters should not prevent cooperation that could improve the lives of ordinary people.

AfriForum said it already works with several traditional and cultural organisations, including Barolong Boo Seleka, Batlharo Boo Tokwana Ba Ga Masibi, Batlokwa Ba Mota and the Royal Leaders of South Africa.

Both AfriForum and March and March stressed that their activities would remain peaceful and within the law, adding that violence and intimidation had no place in their efforts.