Some South African organisations together and citizens gathered at Pretoria CBD on Wednesday calling for legal actions against illegal immigrants and to put an end to what they described as the abuse of South Africa’s diplomacy.
The protest against migrants is said to be sparked by decline in the economy, devastating unemployment levels and increase levels of crime in South Africa.
The theme of the protest is #PutSouthAfricaFirst.
They marched towards the Nigerian and Zimbabwean embassies with the voice that locals should also be prioritised.
They were seen carrying placards and waving South Africans flags.
A protester, Ike Khumalo stated that instead deporting foreign nationals, the state kept offering them jobs and businesses.
“Everything that we want, they want. We can’t give jobs to the whole continent. We are competing at the hospital, if you want to see an orthopedic, you must wait until next year February because in front of you there are illegal immigrants.”
“You want to board a train, they have destroyed the train infrastructure. You want Eskom, they have destroyed them. There is no Constitution that can serve everyone. Who is everyone?”
The protesters also justified their demonstration, they claimed that it was not Afrophobic or xenophobic but a call for law and order.
“It’s not a xenophobic march, we’re here against human trafficking, drug trafficking and against illegal immigrants.”
The group will give the Nigerian and Zimbabwean embassies a memorandum of demands.
