KwaZulu-Natal ramps up security measures ahead of anti-illegal immigration protests, with Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli, community policing forums, and law enforcement officials urging peaceful demonstrations while warning against vigilantism.
KwaZulu-Natal is leaving little to chance ahead of Tuesday's planned anti-illegal immigration protests, with thousands of community patrollers, police officers, and crime prevention volunteers being mobilised amid growing fears that criminal elements could hijack the demonstrations and trigger unrest similar to the violence that engulfed the province in July 2021.
Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli convened an urgent meeting with community policing forums (CPFs), neighbourhood watches, youth crime prevention structures, and religious organisations in Durban on Saturday, saying the province cannot afford a repeat of one of its darkest chapters in recent history.
While acknowledging growing public frustration over illegal immigration, Ntuli drew a clear line between lawful protest and vigilantism, warning that anyone attempting to intimidate or attack foreign nationals would face the full might of the law.
"We meet at a time when there are growing concerns and uncertainty regarding the planned action on 30 June, which has reportedly been directed at undocumented foreign nationals," Ntuli said.
