File picture: Anti-immigrant protests have flared up in South Africa in recent months.
Residents in Daveyton, in Ekurhuleni, took to the streets on Saturday as part of a protest driven by growing frustration over undocumented immigration, with demonstrators calling for stricter border enforcement and tougher government action.
The march, linked to the broader “Mabahambe” movement – loosely translated as “they must go” – drew residents who voiced concerns about unemployment, crime and pressure on already strained public services. Protesters said the situation in their communities had become increasingly difficult, arguing that limited jobs and resources were being further stretched.
Marchers gathered in organised groups before moving through parts of the township, with some carrying placards and chanting slogans calling for authorities to prioritise South Africans in job allocation and improve immigration control
Organisers said the demonstration was intended to highlight what they described as “daily lived realities” in the area and to deliver a formal memorandum of grievances to local authorities.
