Bid to prevent anti-immigrant march in Cape Town
Community leaders don’t want demonstration planned for Saturday in Dunoon
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Community and faith leaders in Dunoon are trying to shut down plans by anti-immigrant groups to march through the township on Saturday. Archive photo: Peter Luhanga
- SANCO, church leaders and community leaders in Dunoon say they do not support an anti-immigrant march planned for this weekend in the township.
- They argue that Dunoon’s informal economy is closely tied to immigrants living in the community and forcing them to leave would destabilise this.
- Faith leaders fear that the planned march could be exploited by criminals and end up harming innocent people.
Community and faith leaders in Dunoon are trying to shut down plans by anti-immigrant groups to march through the township on Saturday. They have cautioned organisers that the campaign against foreign nationals could inflame tensions and destabilise the community.
A poster has been circulating on social media, promoting a “Dunoon Community Peaceful March” with the logos of anti-immigrant groups like Operation Dudula, March and March, For The People, and the Labour and Civic Organisation (LACO). Organisers have urged participants not to bring weapons or illegal substances during the march.
Recent anti-immigration demonstrations have often turned violent.
March and March and Operation Dudula have been calling for stronger action against undocumented migrants.
Over the weekend, the Malawi government began assisting citizens wishing to return home, with two buses carrying about 150 Malawian nationals departing from the Western Cape following violence and displacement linked to anti-immigrant action.
Earlier this month in Kleinmond, people from Malawi and Mozambique fled into nearby mountains and dunes after being threatened by anti-immigrant groups.
Addressing the nation on Sunday, President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged concerns around illegal immigration but warned against vigilantism and attempts by private groups to enforce immigration laws.
“We will and must not allow groups to use the legitimate concerns of South Africans to destabilise our country through inciting lawlessness and violence,” said Ramaphosa.
He cautioned against citizens stopping people in the street to demand identity documents, saying immigration enforcement remained the responsibility of the state
South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) Oliver Tambo branch chairperson Sinethemba Matomela told GroundUp that they had hosted three meetings since May with Dunoon residents, including foreign national representatives, faith leaders, neighbourhood structures, and police, opposing the march.
“We are against March and March coming to Dunoon,” said Matomela.
He said supporters of March and March had voiced their concerns about poor immigration enforcement during the meeting. “We agree that laws must be enforced, but only law enforcement agencies are trained and authorised to determine whether a person is legally in the country or not,” he said.
He said they are circulating voice notes on WhatsApp community groups informing residents that SANCO does not support the march.
Matomela said many households in Dunoon rely on money they make by renting property for housing and businesses like spaza shops to foreign nationals. “If those tenants disappear, many families will lose the only income coming into their homes. We cannot run away from the fact that unemployment is high in Dunoon … If foreigners leave, many South Africans will go to bed with empty stomachs.”
Bonginkosi Luthuli, treasurer of the Dunoon Neighbourhood Watch and secretary of the Dunoon Pastors Fraternal, said they fear that the planned march could be “chaos”.
“If such a march takes place in Dunoon, it will be chaos,” said Luthuli. “Criminals will take advantage of the situation. Businesses could be targeted and innocent people will suffer.”
He said immigrants could not simply pack up and leave overnight. “Many have built their lives here.”
Luthuli said complaints raised by supporters of March and March in Dunoon that foreign nationals are responsible for selling drugs in the township were not true.
“Our position is clear. We are against March and March coming to Dunoon because the consequences for the community will be severe,” he said.
“We know our economy is struggling and unemployment is high. But we do not solve those problems by turning neighbours against one another.”
The leader of an immigrant organisation who attended the meetings but asked not to be named as he fears for his safety, confirmed discussions.
“We need to build relationships. We are all Africans. We are all human beings and we’ve got families,” he said.
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