Cachalia Seeks Court Interdict To Stop March And March Protests In Durban
Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia has approached the High Court seeking an urgent interdict to restrict March and March Movement protests in parts of Durban, including around the Department of Home Affairs Refugee Reception Centre on Che Guevara Road.
The case, Minister of Police v March and March leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, is scheduled to be heard on Friday, 30 October 2026, at 10:00.
According to the amended notice of motion, Cachalia wants the court to prevent Ngobese-Zuma and other members of the movement from organising or participating in marches, processions and protest convoys within the defined area of eThekwini Municipality.
The proposed restrictions cover the Durban CBD, Berea and the vicinity of the Refugee Reception Centre, including Che Guevara Road, formerly known as Moore Road.
Cachalia is also seeking an order prohibiting Ngobese-Zuma and the other named parties from committing, encouraging or assisting acts of violence, intimidation and property damage.
The conduct listed in the court papers includes assaulting or threatening members of the public, looting, setting fire to or damaging homes, businesses and vehicles, attacking the Home Affairs premises, and coercing people to close businesses or leave their homes and workplaces.
The application further seeks to prevent the obstruction of entrances and exits or the use of threats and intimidation to deny people reasonable access to buildings and premises.
The matter is brought as an urgent application under Rule 6(12) of the Uniform Rules of Court and references the Regulation of Gatherings Act 205 of 1993.
Cachalia is asking the court to issue a rule nisi requiring Ngobese-Zuma and the other named parties to show cause why the requested restrictions should not be confirmed. The court has yet to decide whether to grant the relief sought.
The application does not seek a blanket nationwide ban on protests. Instead, it targets specified March and March activities within eThekwini, particularly around the Refugee Reception Centre.
The legal action follows repeated demonstrations by March and March outside the Durban facility, where the movement has campaigned for stricter immigration enforcement and raised concerns about foreign nationals working in the delivery sector.
During a protest on Tuesday, Ngobese-Zuma said the movement had been marching for 21 months and accused the government of attempting to prevent it from exercising its right to protest.
Ngobese-Zuma and the movement have described the proposed court action as an attempt to curtail their constitutional right to protest and have called on supporters to attend Friday’s hearing.
The application comes amid heightened security in Durban, following recent tensions surrounding protests and violence linked to immigration-related grievances. The government announced the deployment of 510 South African National Defence Force members to support police in maintaining law and order in the city.
The case remains pending, and the requested restrictions should not be treated as an existing court order.
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