Fikile Mbalula Calls for Unity in Safeguarding South Africa's Democracy at Historic March

• Fikile Mbalula called for South Africans to unite in defending the country's democracy during a historic march held on Saturday, 21 March 2026
• The march commemorated victims of the Sharpeville Massacre and celebrated 30 years of South Africa's Constitution
• Mbalula emphasised the importance of citizen participation in safeguarding democratic values alongside the government

Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.

GAUTENG, JOHANNESBURG - African National Congress (ANC) Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula has urged South Africans to unite in defence of the country's democracy, describing a weekend march in Johannesburg as the start of a broader national effort.

Honoured victims of the Sharpeville Massacre

Mbalula made the remarks on Saturday, 21 March 2026, during a people's march led by the ANC and its alliance partners. The event honoured victims of the Sharpeville Massacre and commemorated 30 years of South Africa's Constitution. He said the march marked the beginning of a campaign to bring citizens together in protecting the country's sovereignty and democratic values.

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Mbalula stated that the ANC's national executive committee had resolved that defending South Africa should not take place only in boardrooms but must involve ordinary people. He called on citizens to play an active role alongside the government in safeguarding democracy.

This follows the announcement by the African National Congress (ANC) of The People's March, held on March 21 from Mary Fitzgerald Square to Constitutional Hill in Johannesburg. The party said the march was aimed at countering disinformation, imperialist pressure and external threats, including a possible United States trade probe into South Africa's Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) policies.

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Fikile Mbalula has caused a stir online with his response to criticism from Kallie Kriel. Mbalula, the Secretary General (SG) of the African National Congress (ANC), slammed the AfriForum Chief Executive Officer (CEO), describing him as a lowlife. The incident happened on X (formerly Twitter) when Kriel responded to a post Mbalula made about the United States Ambassador to South Africa, Leo Brent Bozell III. Mbalula shared a letter written by Bozell in 1987 in which he described a meeting between the then US Secretary of State and ANC President OR Tambo as an unsatisfactory trend in US policy towards South Africa.

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Fikile Mbalula has pushed back against remarks attributed to the new United States ambassador, saying South Africa’s foreign policy will not be dictated by outside powers. The African National Congress (ANC) secretary-general took to X (formerly Twitter), where his post quickly gained traction, to defend the country’s sovereignty in international relations and reassure investors about South Africa’s economic stability.

Fikile Mbalula has again reaffirmed the African National Congress's (ANC) support for the Iranian regime amidst the recent attacks by the United States of America and Israel. On 28 February 2026, the US and Israel launched a joint military operation against Iran. The US called it Operation Epic Fury, while Israel referred to it as Operation Roaring Lion.

Source: Briefly News