‘No One Is Illegal!’: Marchers call for unity, justice and an end to xenophobia

Hundreds of activists from a range of communities, unions and organisations took to the streets of Johannesburg on Saturday in a ‘March for Dignity’ calling for equality, justice and an end to xenophobia.

The march proceeded from Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown to Constitution Hill. It was led by Kopanang Africa Against Xenophobia (Kaax), a broad coalition united in opposition to what organisers described as deepening hostility toward migrants and worsening inequality affecting the black working class.

Protesters pointed to several key drivers of this hostile environment, including corruption and misconduct within state institutions. Among the concerns raised were police raids in the Johannesburg CBD, where migrants are subjected to harassment and bribery, and ongoing dysfunction within the Department of Home Affairs, which protesters say contributes to the marginalisation of undocumented individuals.

Mashoabathe Noko from the Foundation for Human Rights and a coordinating committee member of Kaax, warned that migrants are increasingly being scapegoated for systemic failures rooted in unemployment, poverty and governance challenges, particularly as political tensions rise ahead of elections.

“We are saying no to discriminating against people just because they speak different languages or have different accents. We are one people. The politicians are opportunistic. They begin to scapegoat migrants for the issues they have caused,” she said.

Noko argued that frustrations over poor service delivery are being misdirected at migrants rather than directed at the causes of unemployment and inequality.

Khuselwa Dyantyi from Section27 said failures in public healthcare and service delivery are contributing significantly to rising tensions. Dyantyi said the government must ensure accessible and adequately resourced healthcare, education and labour systems, where shortages are key drivers of social division. “We are calling on government to ensure healthcare systems are properly provided for, so people do not feel services are being taken away from them,” she said.

Dyantyi stressed that migration must be understood within a humanitarian context, with many migrants fleeing conflict and instability. “People come here seeking safety and dignity. The issue is not their presence, but the failure of systems to serve everyone,” she said.

The organisers say that the march was also a celebration of diversity and common humanity.

Buhle Gamede, branch chairperson of the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) in Mofolo, said migrants are deeply integrated in community life and often provide essential support.

“We are all part of the same community. The people called ‘foreigners’ live among us — they help raise our children and support our households,” Gamede said. She described migrants as active contributors in township life, particularly in caregiving roles.

Migrants, in her experience, are nonetheless discriminated against in healthcare settings. “I have seen people turned away from clinics because they don’t have documentation,” she said.

Gamede warned that excluding migrants from healthcare poses public health risks. “If someone living with HIV is denied treatment, it affects the whole community. They are community members, not outsiders,” she said.

Isabel Moyo, a Zimbabwean living in Yeoville, said migrants are often wrongly portrayed as outsiders competing for resources. “I am not here to take anyone’s job or land. I am part of the community,” she said.

She highlighted challenges caused by documentation delays at the Department of Home Affairs. “Without documents, people cannot work legally, but they still need to survive,” she said.

The March of Dignity from Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown to Constitutional Hill dispersed, with organisers pledging to continue mobilising against xenophobia and pushing for systemic reforms.

Mametlwe Sebei, president of the General Industries Workers Union of South Africa (Giwusa), strongly condemned rising xenophobia, arguing that migrants are being wrongly blamed for structural economic decline. He said unemployment and de-industrialisation, not migration, are at the heart of South Africa’s crisis.

“12.4-million people are unemployed in this country. That is not because of migrants,” he said. Sebei pointed to long-term economic decline, including mine closures and manufacturing collapse.

“Factories are shutting down and manufacturing is in decline year after year,” he said, a process of de-industrialisation that has been decades in the making. “To blame migrants for this is outrageous,” Sebei said.

The demonstration ended without incident, with many more fists and hoots of support from bystanders than the feared violent reaction from provocateurs. Across speeches and testimonies from participants, a common message emerged: xenophobia is not an isolated issue, but deeply connected to unemployment, inequality, governance failures and political scapegoating. Organisers pledged to continue mobilising against xenophobia and pushing for systemic reforms.