The March and March movement has gone back to protesting outside the Home Affairs offices in Umbilo, Durban. Police have kept a strong presence in the area, and the movement accuses officers of using too much force.
The anti-illegal immigration group stopped its protests during the 2026 local government elections. A court order that limited protests until 6 November has now ended, IOL reported.
“During the deliberations, the marchers, who did not have marshals controlling them as required by law, became violent and started throwing stones at the police,” KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said.
Netshiunda was speaking about a clash on Tuesday, 10 November, on Che Guevara Road, formerly Moore Road. He said police used stun grenades and rubber bullets to restore order. He said no injuries were reported to the police.
According to Netshiunda, Public Order Police officers stopped a group marching shortly after 3pm. The court order says protests must end by that time.
He said most of the marchers carried dangerous weapons such as sticks. He said others had covered their faces. Officers reminded the group of the court rules before the situation turned violent, he said.
March and March tells a different story. Spokesperson Sandile Dube said the movement did its own investigation, spoke to members and visited the scene.
Dube denied that the movement had organised a march that day. He said about 20 people were walking towards traffic lights when police told them to go back to their tents. He claimed an officer then fired rubber bullets at the group.
Movement leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma condemned what she called police brutality against ordinary South Africans. She accused officers of turning against the communities they are meant to protect. Neither side’s account has been tested in court.
Police have opened an investigation into possible breaches of the court order and claims that officers were assaulted. Police said their actions were needed to enforce the order and protect businesses and the public, regardless of nationality.
The interim order was granted on 30 October by Judge Peter Olsen. Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia and KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi brought the urgent application.
The order limits marches to set routes and daylight hours. It bans weapons such as sticks and knobkerries, face masks and clothing that looks like police or military uniforms. Olsen said the order was not a finding of wrongdoing against Ngobese-Zuma.
March and March was founded in March 2024. Ngobese-Zuma is a former Vuma FM radio presenter from KwaMashu. The group wants undocumented immigrants deported, tighter border controls and jobs prioritised for South Africans.
Human rights groups and political parties have called the movement xenophobic. They point to protests linked to burnt vehicles, attacks on foreign nationals and threats against traders. The movement rejects this and says it only wants immigration laws enforced.
The group’s attorney, Xolani Zuma, called for calm from both sides. He said he urged officers not to provoke protesters and asked members not to attack police. He told members to obey the court order.
In a separate case in Nongoma, northern KwaZulu-Natal, 22 foreign-owned businesses have gone to the Pietermaritzburg High Court. They want access to their shops restored and protection from alleged intimidation. That case returns to court on 23 November.
The Durban court order matter is set to return to court on 18 January 2027.
Source: this article is based on reporting by IOL. Image: IOL. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice News desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Kgomotso Maake covers news and politics for Tzaneen Voice. Kgomotso reports on government, Parliament, municipalities, courts, crime and service delivery across South Africa, with a close eye on how national decisions reach towns like Tzaneen and the wider Limpopo province. Stories are written in plain English and focus on the facts: who made the decision, what it means, and what happens next.