Thousands of residents from Thokoza in Ekurhuleni marched to a nearby industrial area on Thursday, accusing undocumented foreign nationals of taking employment opportunities from local residents. The protesters are demanding that companies prioritise the hiring of South African citizens.
Members of the civic organisation, Abahambe Thokoza, gathered in large numbers before marching to factories in the area, where they handed over memorandums outlining their demands to management.
The group’s spokesperson, Tebogo Motloung, claimed that many local residents remain unemployed while companies continue to hire foreign nationals.
“We want all these firms to consider and prioritise South Africans when offering employment opportunities,” said Motloung.
He said the community wants greater transparency in recruitment processes and more opportunities for local job seekers.
Community leader Celi Xaba echoed those concerns, saying residents are frustrated by persistently high unemployment levels in the area. He called on businesses to engage directly with communities and address their grievances.
“We have followed the proper legal processes and invoked Section 205 to allow us to approach these firms and hand over memorandums to each of them,” said Xaba.
The protesters say they will continue monitoring developments and expect companies to provide clear responses regarding their employment practices.
Anti-immigration activist Phakel’umthakathi, whose real name is Nkosikhona Ndabandaba, later joined the demonstration and rejected accusations that his organisation is xenophobic. He insisted that the group’s campaign is focused on crime prevention and law enforcement rather than hostility towards foreign nationals.
Ndabandaba argued that some criminal activities are linked to undocumented migrants, referring to recent allegations involving drugs discovered in Pinetown, KwaZulu-Natal.
“They say we hate people from outside South Africa, but we found drugs on their premises,” he said.
He called on community members to report drug dealers and criminal activity to the authorities.
At the same time, Ndabandaba urged his supporters not to resort to violence.
“Don’t you dare start violence because when you fight and burn buildings, someone else profits while you are left with nothing,” he said.
He added that the movement would continue its demonstrations until its concerns are heard and addressed by both government and business leaders.
The group has given company managers one week to respond to their demands and says further action could follow if they are not satisfied with the outcome.
