Hundreds Protest Illegal Immigration in Johannesburg

Hundreds of South Africans marched through Johannesburg's central business district on Wednesday, protesting illegal immigration and demanding stricter enforcement of immigration laws, as part of a wave of demonstrations that began in Pretoria the previous day.

The Johannesburg rally, organized primarily by the March and March movement and joined by groups including ActionSA, Operation Dudula and the Patriotic Alliance, drew an estimated 500 participants. Protesters assembled at Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown around 9 a.m. and proceeded along a designated route through the CBD to Beyers Naude Square near the Gauteng Provincial Legislature. They planned to deliver a memorandum outlining demands for accelerated immigration case processing, mass deportations of undocumented individuals, audits of immigrants and study visas, and priority for South Africans in jobs, housing and public services. Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department spokesperson Xolani Fihla confirmed police and traffic officials were on hand to manage the procession and ensure safety, with motorists advised to avoid affected routes.

The previous day's protest in Pretoria involved more than 300 people who...