Gareth Cliff Faces Backlash After Questioning March and March Movement's Funding

• Gareth Cliff faced criticism on social media after discussing the funding behind Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma's March and March movement during The Truth Report
• An X user accused Cliff of attempting to discredit Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, arguing that his comments implied her campaign could not be genuine without outside funding
• South Africans were divided online, with some defending Cliff's remarks and others backing Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma and the March and March movement

Broadcaster Gareth Cliff has found himself in the crosshairs of social media after questioning the origins of funding behind the March and March movement. An X user took aim at Cliff, calling him out for what they described as an attempt to discredit activist Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma and her anti-illegal immigration campaign.

On Monday, 13 July 2026, X user @ISephara shared a scathing post targeting Cliff after the broadcaster aired his thoughts on The Truth Report's official YouTube channel. Cliff stopped short of outright accusing the movement of being externally manipulated, but his choice of words left little to the imagination.

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What did Gareth Cliff say about Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma?

Speaking in the video, Cliff said:

"It's entirely likely, it's plausible. It's possible that March and March is just a ground-up, real protest that has a lot of angry unemployed South Africans mobilised without any nefarious outside links to bigger organisations."

While he acknowledged the protest could be authentic, his framing suggested he was not fully convinced. @ISephara was having none of it, accusing Cliff of implying that a Black woman cannot champion a cause without financial backing from shadowy forces. The post also referenced Cliff's past controversies, including his 2016 dismissal from Idols SA following a tweet many viewed as supportive of racist commentator Penny Sparrow.

Watch the video below for Gareth Cliff's full comment:

SA reacts to Gareth Cliff's comments about Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma

The post ignited fierce debate online, with opinions divided on both Cliff and Jacinta. See the original post that sparked the conversation below:

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Here are some of the comments:

@ForilTogo wrote:

"Nothing you mentioned denies the allegations that Jacinta is an agent for foreign nations. A destabilising force whose intentions are to get rich from the destruction of her own country."

@_LividaLoca_ quipped:

"Cliff needs to descend from the Top of a Cliff to view the bottom of the Cliff; swiftly, maybe that will reconstruct his ways. 🕊"

@Aristo05635796 criticised:

"Bruh! You're all over the show; what point are you making? Right now you sound like a drunken uncle trying to articulate something that he doesn't understand"

@Womanishh argued:

"I don't understand the obsession with her being funded or not. Was ANC not being funded during apartheid to fight for freedom? Then being funded removed the realness of the issues they were fighting for? I don't care if she is funded or not 🤷🏾‍♀️ she is fighting a real fight"

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Gareth Cliff shares theory on who could be funding Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma: "Just watch what's happening"

Gareth Cliff discusses tensions behind March and March protests

Meanwhile, Briefly News previously reported that Gareth Cliff shared his views on the growing anti-illegal immigration protests.

He explained why frustration among South Africans is growing and how it’s shaping public reactions.

Source: Briefly News