<\/p>\n
Community and faith leaders in Dunoon are trying to shut down plans by anti-immigrant groups to march through the township on Saturday.<\/p>\n
They have cautioned organisers that the campaign against foreign nationals could inflame tensions and destabilise the community.<\/p>\n
Read\/watch:
South Africa to crack down on illegal migrants as protests surge
Ramaphosa speaks to the nation about illegal migration<\/p>\n
A poster has been circulating on social media, promoting a \u201cDunoon Community Peaceful March\u201d with the logos of anti-immigrant groups like Operation Dudula, March and March, For The People, and the Labour and Civic Organisation (Laco).<\/p>\n
Organisers have urged participants not to bring weapons or illegal substances during the march. Recent anti-immigration demonstrations have often turned violent.<\/p>\n
\nMarch and March and Operation Dudula have been calling for stronger action against undocumented migrants.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Earlier this month in Kleinmond, people from Malawi and Mozambique\u00a0fled into nearby mountains\u00a0and dunes after being threatened by anti-immigrant groups.<\/p>\n
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Ramaphosa warning<\/strong><\/p>\n
Addressing the nation on Sunday, President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged concerns around illegal immigration but warned against vigilantism and attempts by private groups to enforce immigration laws.<\/p>\n
Read:\u00a0SA business warn government over xenophobia backlash<\/div>\n\u201cWe will and must not allow groups to use the legitimate concerns of South Africans to destabilise our country through inciting lawlessness and violence,\u201d said Ramaphosa.<\/p>\n
He cautioned against citizens stopping people in the street to demand identity documents, saying immigration enforcement remained the responsibility of the state.<\/p>\n
South African National Civics Association (Sanco) Oliver Tambo branch chair Sinethemba Matomela told GroundUp that they had hosted three meetings since May with Dunoon residents, including foreign national representatives, faith leaders, neighbourhood structures, and police, opposing the march.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWe are against March and March coming to Dunoon,\u201d said Matomela.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
He said supporters of March and March had voiced their concerns about poor immigration enforcement during the meeting. \u201cWe agree that laws must be enforced, but only law enforcement agencies are trained and authorised to determine whether a person is legally in the country or not,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
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Lamola calls for law, not vigilantism, in immigration debate<\/div>\nGayton McKenzie reported to ICC for xenophobia incitement<\/div>\nHe said they are circulating voice notes on WhatsApp community groups informing residents that Sanco does not support the march.<\/p>\n
Matomela said many households in Dunoon rely on income from renting property for housing and businesses, such as spaza shops, to foreign nationals.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf those tenants disappear, many families will lose the only income coming into their homes. We cannot run away from the fact that unemployment is high in Dunoon \u2026 If foreigners leave, many South Africans will go to bed with empty stomachs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fears of chaos<\/strong><\/p>\n
Bonginkosi Luthuli, treasurer of the Dunoon Neighbourhood Watch and secretary of the Dunoon Pastors Fraternal, said they fear that the planned march could be \u201cchaos\u201d.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cIf such a march takes place in Dunoon, it will be chaos,\u201d said Luthuli.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\u201cCriminals will take advantage of the situation. Businesses could be targeted, and innocent people will suffer.\u201d He said immigrants could not simply pack up and leave overnight. \u201cMany have built their lives here.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Xenophobic rhetoric risks escalating into organised violence<\/div>\nSA government scrambles to deal with anti-immigration protests<\/div>\nLuthuli said complaints raised by supporters of March and March in Dunoon that foreign nationals are responsible for selling drugs in the township were not true.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur position is clear. We are against March and March coming to Dunoon because the consequences for the community will be severe,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWe know our economy is struggling and unemployment is high. But we do not solve those problems by turning neighbours against one another.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
The leader of an immigrant organisation who attended the meetings but asked not to be named as he fears for his safety, confirmed discussions.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to build relationships. We are all Africans. We are all human beings, and we\u2019ve got families,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u00a9 2026 GroundUp. This article was first published\u00a0here.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
#chaos #Cape #community #resists #antiimmigrant #march<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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