Durban High Court Rules on March and March Protests Ahead of Elections

• The Durban High Court ruled on an urgent application by Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia and KZN Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi to restrict March and March protests
• The court limited demonstration hours and banned weapons, face coverings and road obstructions across several eThekwini areas
• March and March leader's husband Xolani Zuma responded to the ruling and addressed the movement's position on the upcoming November 4 local government elections

KWAZULU-NATAL — The Durban High Court has imposed a set of strict conditions on demonstrations organised by the anti-immigration movement March and March, ruling that protests may only take place between 9am and 3pm along designated routes in eThekwini.

The ruling followed an urgent court application filed jointly by Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia and KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who sought to place limits on the movement's activities in several parts of the municipality.

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Prohibited conduct at demonstrations

Under the court's conditions, protesters are barred from carrying sticks or any other weapons, concealing their faces, intimidating members of the public, or blocking roads and access routes. The restrictions come after weeks of anti-immigration unrest in Durban marked by violence, looting, property damage and road blockades.

Authorities also raised a specific concern about an alleged threat to set alight the Department of Home Affairs Refugee Reception Centre in Berea, which contributed to the urgency of the court application.

Xolani Zuma responds to ruling

Xolani Zuma, husband of March and March leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, addressed the court proceedings publicly and offered the movement's position on the upcoming elections. He stated that the court had temporarily suspended March and March demonstrations ahead of the elections, with the suspension set to come into effect from Saturday.

Zuma also confirmed that neither March and March nor SA First intended to boycott the November 4 local government elections.

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However, the court's actual ruling does not impose a blanket ban on all marches. Instead, it permits demonstrations to continue under the conditions outlined above, a distinction that differs from the characterisation offered by Zuma.

Police are continuing preparations for the elections amid ongoing concerns about public safety and the potential for unrest.

View Zuma's interview posted on X here:

Jacinta urges the public to refrain from speculations

Briefly News reported that March and March leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma called on the public to refrain from speculating about the death of a man believed to be a foreign national who was allegedly beaten to death during a march in central Durban on Thursday. A group of approximately 50 people allegedly carried out the assault during demonstrations in the city. South African Police Service (SAPS) has since opened a murder investigation, though authorities have not yet established a motive for the killing.

Source: Briefly News