March and March To Continue With Shutdown Despite eThekwini Municipality Refusal

• Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma vows to proceed with 30 June protest despite municipal ban
• Municipality cites national security threat amid widespread calls for stricter immigration policies
• Meeting deadlines, Ngobese-Zuma asserts constitutional right to peaceful assembly

The leader of the March and March Movement, Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, said the group will proceed with its planned 30 June protest despite a municipal ban. She spoke after the eThekwini Municipality verbally refused permission for the gathering, citing a national security threat.

According to a letter shared by the movement with IOL, Ngobese-Zuma met with eThekwini metro police and the South African Police Service officials on 24 June 2026. The municipal city manager, Musa Mbhele, subsequently denied authorisation for the demonstration.

The protest is linked to a nationwide campaign by 27 civil organisations demanding stricter immigration policies and enforcing a self-imposed 30 June deadline for undocumented foreigners to leave South Africa. This deadline has already triggered a humanitarian crisis in Durban, forcing thousands of displaced Malawian nationals to seek emergency repatriation.

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Jacinta MNgobese-Zuma defends right to protest

Ngobese-Zuma said that the movement would not cancel the demonstration. She said the right to assemble is protected under Section 17 of the Constitution and cannot be limited without lawful justification. The movement leader said they complied with all procedural requirements of the Regulation of Gatherings Act after submitting their notice on 15 June.

Ngobese-Zuma said the city failed to provide written reasons or an official security assessment by their 1 pm deadline on 25 June. She added that while authorities raised routing concerns during consultations, the group accommodated all proposals in good faith, and the gathering remains scheduled to proceed across the entire local city space.

Ngobese-Zuma Clashes with Media Over Allegations

Similarly, Briefly News reported that March and March leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma strongly denied allegations of issuing death threats during a Johannesburg press briefing on 24 June 2026. The confrontation, captured on video, escalated when a journalist accused her of stating that people must "perish" during an upcoming national shutdown.

Ngobese-Zuma fiercely rejected the claim, demanding immediate video evidence from the reporter. When asked to remain civil, she refused, arguing that civility is unwarranted against fabricated accusations.

Source: Briefly News