Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma Says Parties Lost Votes Over Illegal Immigration
- March and March leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma claimed immigration was a deciding factor in the 4 November 2026 Local Government Elections
- Ngobese-Zuma warned political parties they risk being voted out entirely in 2029 if they continue dismissing voters' immigration concerns
- The warning came as March and March demonstrations remained suspended under a Durban High Court order issued on 30 October
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KWAZULU-NATAL — March and March leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma has attributed the losses suffered by several political parties in the 2026 Local Government Elections to their failure to address illegal immigration as a voter concern.
In a public post following the 4 November polls, Ngobese-Zuma argued that immigration had been a decisive issue at the ballot box, despite political parties having allegedly disregarded the warnings her movement raised ahead of the elections.
Jacinta warns political parties
Jacinta said she wished people would tell political parties the truth about why they lost votes.
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"Immigration was a decider in these elections, and we told you so; you chose to go against the will of the people," she said.
She also criticised parties for making the immigration debate about her personally rather than engaging with what she described as the legitimate concerns of ordinary South Africans. She warned that the electoral consequences would be even more severe in the 2029 general elections if parties continued to tolerate what she characterised as disrespectful conduct by undocumented foreign nationals.
See X post about Jacinta's comments here:
March and March under court restrictions
The movement's protest activity has been on hold since 30 October, when Durban High Court granted an interim order suspending demonstrations until 6 November. The application was brought by Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia and KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, citing concerns about violence, intimidation and an alleged intelligence report pointing to a plan to burn down Durban's Refugee Reception Centre.
When demonstrations resume, they will be bound by conditions including designated routes, marching hours restricted to between 10am and 3pm, and prohibitions on weapons, masks and clothing resembling police or military uniforms. The matter returns to court on 18 January 2027.
MK Party engages movement before elections
Briefly News also reported that on election day, 4 November, MK Party president Jacob Zuma met with March and March leadership and acknowledged the movement's efforts around immigration enforcement. The MK Party stated that undocumented foreign nationals should regularise their status or return home through lawful channels, while also cautioning that immigration enforcement must not be used to justify xenophobia or violence.
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Source: Briefly News
