DURBAN, KwaZulu-Natal — In a sharp rebuke of the state’s financial priorities, the South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) has condemned the reported R600 million march funding allocated to manage recent anti-immigration protests. Rather than policing demonstrations, the civic group insists the budget must be immediately redirected toward border security and strict immigration enforcement.
Sizwe Cele, the KwaZulu-Natal Secretary of SANCO, described the massive expenditure on crowd management as an unethical use of taxpayer money. According to Cele, the financial resources currently being spent to contain public unrest would be far better utilized to secure the country’s borders and enforce existing immigration laws.
A “Ticking Time Bomb” Ignored
The civic organization argues that the current wave of public frustration was entirely preventable and is the direct result of prolonged government inaction. Cele highlighted that SANCO had explicitly warned authorities about the escalating crisis well in advance.
On December 12, 2024, the group organized a massive march to the Union Buildings in Pretoria. During the protest, they submitted a comprehensive memorandum of complaints directly to President Cyril Ramaphosa. The document detailed severe concerns regarding porous national borders and the rise in criminal activities allegedly driven by undocumented immigrants operating freely within the country.
“We warned that this situation was a ticking time bomb,” Cele noted, emphasizing that had the executive branch taken the memorandum seriously and implemented immediate corrective actions, the country would not be facing the current crisis. Now, under immense public pressure, the government is responding with the controversial R600 million security allocation.
The June 30 Protests and Government Inaction
SANCO has been highly critical of the state’s handling of the June 30 anti-immigration demonstrations. Cele pointed out that the dates for these marches were announced months in advance, giving the government ample time to address the root causes of the public anger.
Instead of taking proactive measures, Cele accused the government of relying on “street talking.” He argued that authorities should have used the lead-up time to initiate deportations, shut down illegal establishments, and arrest individuals manufacturing counterfeit goods or selling expired products.
Because the government failed to fire corrupt officials within the Department of Home Affairs and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, Cele argued that a leadership vacuum was created. “The people are marching because there is a vacuum,” he explained, noting that citizens feel millions of undocumented individuals are operating in towns and cities without facing the rule of law.
Political Disconnect and the Working Class
The political narrative surrounding the marches has been highly contested. ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula, alongside the labor federation Cosatu, has suggested that the June 30 activities are being manipulated by external forces. They argue that third parties are mobilizing the protests to divide the working class and redirect public anger away from the government’s actual failures.
However, Cele dismissed these assertions, arguing that political elites are profoundly disconnected from the daily struggles of the masses. He noted that politicians live in secure, gated estates with private bodyguards, insulating them from the realities faced by ordinary citizens.
“They forget that their responsibility is to listen to us,” Cele stated, adding that leaders must remember they govern at the behest of the people. He revealed that the frustration within civic groups is so deep that SANCO had even considered pushing for a national referendum to force the government to acknowledge the will of the people.
Separating Law Enforcement from Xenophobia
Addressing widespread concerns that criticism of illegal migration often fuels xenophobic attacks, Cele firmly rejected the label. He clarified that South Africans do not harbor hatred toward fellow Africans from neighboring countries. Instead, the anger is directed at specific criminal deeds that devastate local communities.
Cele cited the alleged introduction of drugs into schools, the flooding of local markets with counterfeit products, and the sale of expired goods as primary grievances. “This is not about xenophobia; this is about the livelihood of the people of South Africa, the safety of our children, and our economy,” he asserted.
Framing the issue through an economic lens, Cele described South Africa as being in the “second transition of the struggle,” which is focused on achieving true economic freedom. He argued that undocumented immigrants are effectively hijacking this struggle, outcompeting local citizens and depriving them of vital economic opportunities.
Ultimately, SANCO maintains that the solution lies not in hostility, but in a government that finally enforces the law, protects local livelihoods, and properly manages the nation’s immigration system.