Mkhwanazi and Cachalia Secure Court Interdict Against March and March After Durban Violence

• The Durban High Court granted an interim interdict on 28 October 2026 against the March and March Movement following violent anti-immigration protests
• Police intelligence warned of an alleged plan to burn down the Home Affairs Refugee Reception Centre in Berea, Durban
• The matter returns to court on 30 October 2026, when a decision on making the restrictions permanent is expected

KWAZULU-NATAL — KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi and Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia have obtained an interim court interdict against the March and March Movement, following weeks of violent anti-immigration demonstrations in Durban.

The Durban High Court granted the order on Wednesday, 28 October 2026. The case is scheduled to return on Friday, 30 October, when the court will determine whether the restrictions should be made permanent.

Police warn of plan to target Home Affairs centre

Court papers filed in support of the application reveal that police received intelligence about an alleged plan to set alight the Home Affairs Refugee Reception Centre on Che Guevara Road, formerly known as Moore Road, in Berea. Brigadier Thamsanqa Gama, whose founding affidavit underpins the application, warned of an immediate threat to public safety, lives and order across Durban and the broader province.

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Police also flagged the risk of retaliatory violence following the death of a foreign national during the unrest. During the demonstrations, 14 vehicles were reportedly torched and approximately a dozen businesses in Durban's central business district were damaged. A murder investigation was opened after a Ugandan man was allegedly assaulted and stabbed on Dr Pixley kaSeme Street. KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda previously stated that two men allegedly broke away from a group of marchers and attacked the victim, with several others joining the assault. The motive remained unestablished at that stage.

See X post reporting on the interdict here:

What the interdict covers

The urgent application names the March and March Movement as the first respondent, with its leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma cited alongside five others: Xolani Zuma, Mthokozisi Gumede, Nozibusiso Khambule, Lindani Xulu and Uyama Mthembu. The eThekwini Municipality, its municipal police leadership and the Minister of Home Affairs are also cited.

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The interdict seeks to prevent the named parties from organising, mobilising or participating in marches, processions, protest convoys and encampments across specified parts of eThekwini, with particular focus on the Durban CBD, Che Guevara Road and the area surrounding the Refugee Reception Centre. The restrictions also prohibit violence, intimidation, looting, arson and interference with business operations or public access to premises.

The court action follows an incident on 6 October, when March and March protesters blocked access to the Refugee Reception Centre, leaving asylum seekers, including women and children, stranded outside while services were disrupted.

The precise terms of the interim order have not been independently verified against the signed court document.

Mkhwanazi warns against breaking the law

Previously, Briefly News reported that Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi indicated that KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) police will meet with the leaders of March and March over the group’s recent actions. The citizen-led movement is pushing for stricter immigration controls in the country and the mass deportation of undocumented foreign nationals, and has held numerous protests in support of this. Speaking about the incidents, the KZN Provincial Commissioner reiterated that citizens did not have the responsibility to check whether people are documented.

Source: Briefly News