DURBAN, KwaZulu-Natal — A March and March protest in Durban turned violent on Thursday as police deployed stun grenades, tear gas, and rubber bullets to disperse demonstrators gathered for a controversial refugee clean-up operation on Che Guevara Road.
The demonstration was organized by the March and March movement, which described the event as a necessary “clean-up operation.” The action comes amid a growing humanitarian crisis, with hundreds of refugees reportedly living on the streets for more than three months. These individuals claim they were forcibly displaced from their homes during recent anti-illegal immigration protests.
The situation on Thursday quickly escalated into a confrontation between the protesters and a group of migrants, leaving at least one demonstrator injured. Beyond the immediate violence, the movement has raised severe humanitarian concerns, claiming that two people have died during this period. One of these deaths is allegedly linked to interrupted tuberculosis (TB) treatment, exacerbated by a severe lack of food.
March and March leader Jasin Tangves Zuma defended the group’s presence, stating that they were invited by local residents frustrated with the deteriorating neighborhood conditions.
“The municipality must come and attend to this because people are complaining that it’s filthy,” Zuma said. He explained that the community raised alarms about people living on the road and incidents of robbery, which prompted the call to “clean the streets.”
Zuma emphasized that the movement had acted transparently and notified authorities of their intentions prior to the demonstration. “We told the police that we’re coming here today. So, I don’t know why they’re acting as if we are fighting against them,” he stated. “We’re not fighting against the police here. We are here to clean up our country’s streets. It’s our country.”
Challenging the law enforcement response, Zuma added, “If they have a problem, remove the people from the streets here. Why are you removing us?”
Despite these assertions, activists from the movement argue that their broader concerns are falling on deaf ears. On the ground, refugees report being offered shelter at the Lindela repatriation center, though they claim this promised support has not materialized. Resisting the proposed relocation, one refugee expressed a firm desire to remain where they are, stating, “Why Lindela? I’m going to stay in the community.”
Authorities have yet to release an official statement regarding the deployment of crowd-management tactics or the movement’s demands for municipal intervention on Che Guevara Road.
