28 August 2026
Hundreds of jobseekers brought their CVs to a march in Epping on Friday, hoping for a job. Photos: Ashraf Hendricks
Hundreds of jobseekers marched down the M7 to the Epping Industrial Area on Friday morning, demanding jobs.
The march was led by anti-immigration organisations March and March and the Labour and Civic Organisation (LACO). There were also supporters from the vigilante group Operation Dudula.
When they reached Epping, marchers formed long lines to hand in their CVs. It is unclear what the organisers intend to do with them.
Organisers declined to speak to GroundUp at the march. A poster for the event named it “Operation Thatha Umsebenzi” (“take the job”) and called it an “employment revolution”.
A Facebook post by LACO said that the role of the march “is to force employment of South Africans in South Africa regardless of Race, Gender or Status”.
Litha Yako has been unemployed since January and joined the march with CV in hand. “I’ve been looking but I can’t find anything,” she said.
Yako said non-South Africans should be removed “so that the South African people can get a job” and feed their families.
She said she survives with help from her mother and the R370-a-month Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant. She said she would take any job.
Pretty August from Kraaifontein has been unemployed for more than three years. August says she relies on piece jobs and the child support grant to survive. She said she is hoping that the march organisers will get her a job.
Hundreds of people participated in the march.
