Tensions Flare in Durban as March and March Protesters Chase Away eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba
EThekwini Municipality Mayor Cyril Xaba was forced to withdraw hastily from Moore Road (now Che Guevara Road) in Durban in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) after being chased away by angry protesters and supporters of the March and March Movement.
The incident unfolded on September 10, 2026 (Thursday) amid an escalating standoff regarding a makeshift refugee camp pitched outside the Department of Home Affairs offices.
The March and March Movement, an activist pressure group targeting illegal immigration, converged on the area for what they described as a “clean-up operation”.
Their primary demand is the immediate removal of hundreds of foreign nationals—mostly asylum seekers from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, and Rwanda—who have been living on the pavement for several months after fleeing community intimidation.
When Xaba attempted to engage with the crowds and handle the municipal breakdown, the situation rapidly turned hostile.
Demonstrators, citing frustration over the ongoing violation of city by-laws and sluggish government response, rejected his intervention and aggressively chased him from the site.
Local business owners have repeatedly complained that the prolonged occupation of the pavements has severely hurt economic activity in the area, forcing some shops to close down entirely.
While Xaba previously confirmed that the vast majority of the camped refugees are legally documented in South Africa, the local community and pressure groups have continuously demanded their relocation.
Following the hostility directed at the Xaba, law enforcement presence was heavily reinforced. South African Police Service (SAPS) and Metro Police personnel deployed crowd-control measures, including stun grenades and rubber bullets, to separate the anti-migrant demonstrators from the refugees as physical altercations broke out on the streets.
