Residents of Kayamandi marched to the Stellenbosch Town Hall and police station to hand over lists of grievances about socio-economic issues in their township which they say are tied to undocumented immigrants.
The march was organised by two organisations, Operation Dudula and March and March, which have been organising protests nationally, with prevalence in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
Residents of Kayamandi on a march to Stellenbosch Town Hall in a protest organised by Operation Dudula and March and March against undocumented immigrants and socio-economic challenges. PHOTO: Kwanda Mkhonto
Siyabulela Felemntwini Dukumbana, Operation Dudula labour desk Western Cape, the leader of the march, said they were marching to the municipality to hand in a memorandum containing complaints about undocumented immigrants, some areas in Kayamandi township with no adequate water and toilets, and issues surrounding increasing violent crimes.
He said they had problems with undocumented foreigners who they believed were dangerous because if they committed crimes they could not be tracked down.
The demonstration, which took place on Youth Day, 16 June, started at F92 Strongyard community park in Kayamandi, with more police than the protesters in the morning.
The Usave store closed its doors, with customers inside the store while the protesters passed by on their way to the Town Hall to hand in the memorandum. PHOTO: Kwanda Mkhonto
The march stretched four kilometres from Luyolo Road in Kayamandi, connecting through Bird Street, to the Stellenbosch Town Hall where the memorandum was to be handed over.
Upon entering the Stellenbosch Central Business District (CBD), shops were closed. Security guards from Eikestad mall were wearing balaclavas and armed with pump-action guns. Several shops, such as Usave, which operates on public holidays, had their doors closed when marchers passed by with customers still in the shop.
At the Town Hall, Nokuthula Makhaba, provincial organiser for March and March, read the memorandum, in the absence of the mayor, whom they had been hoping would be present to receive the memorandum.
Makhaba denied accusations that marches against undocumented immigrants were xenophobic and argued that they had been allowed to stay in the country for “too long”.
“Some of them were in the country for 20 to 30 years without documents and right papers […] you cannot say now when we stand up as citizens of this country to say enough is enough, then you call us xenophobic,” said Makhaba.
Residents of Stellenbosch in Alexander Street escorted by police, marching against undocumented immigrants and socio-economic issues facing Kayamandi. PHOTO: Kwanda Mkhonto
Kayamandi residents who spoke to the SMF News claimed immigrants were being employed over locals and also complained about them being accommodated in local schools.
“Abantu abasebenzayo eStellenbosch ngabantu bokufika […] thina sihleli ecaleni kwezindlu asisebenzi [the people who work in Stellenbosch are foreigners […] we are sitting in our houses, not working],” said Nosipho Somta, resident of Ward 12 in Stellenbosch.
Nomazizi Makheke, another resident from Ward 12, said at her workplace. “Abemi bangaphandle bapemanenti [foreigners are permanent].”
Yandisa Madasa, a resident from Ward 14, said that not only have the foreigners taken their jobs in places like restaurants, but they also occupied their public schools. “Nasezikowelwini imbala uzofika ekhona lamaforeyina [Even at schools you will find these foreigners],”said Madasa.
The march, organised by Operation Dudula and March and March, reaches its first destination at the Town Hall, where residents deliver a memorandum raising concerns over undocumented immigration and socio-economic issues in Kayamandi. PHOTO: Kwanda Mkhonto
Scooter delivery driver, Nathanael, a legal immigrant from Burundi who asked to be identified only by his first name, said he is not taking jobs away from South Africans.
“Actually I am not taking their jobs. Even if they [South Africans] go to apply, [on-demand food delivery companies] don’t chase them away,” he said.
Rashidy Hubby, another legal immigrant from Burundi, who is also a scooter delivery driver said most of the scooter drivers are foreigners. “Most of our brothers and sisters here in South Africa do not want to do this job; they say it is a dangerous job,” he said.
“If someone says, ‘no, I do not want to do that job,’ you can’t take a gun and put it on their head and force them to do the job,” he said.
Residents who marched from Kayamandi deliver their memorandum in Stellenbosch Town Hall, which raises issues about undocumented immigrants and socio-economic issues facing the township. PHOTO: Kwanda Mkhonto
When SMF News asked the Stellenbosch Municipality about the absence of the mayor, municipality spokesperson Stuart Grobbelaar said: “A senior law enforcement official was delegated to receive the memorandum on behalf of the municipality.”
“The memorandum will now be studied after which the municipality will provide a formal written response to the representatives of the group,” he said.
Grobbelaar said the understanding was that, “the memorandum related primarily to illegal immigration and that questions relating to national immigration policy and border control should be directed to the relevant national government authorities.”
The delegated senior official was Chris Koegelenberg, principal inspector at law enforcement.
Chris Koegelenberg, the principal inspector at law enforcement, receives a memorandum from marchers organised by Operation Dudula and March and March, raising concerns about undocumented immigrants and socio-economic issues facing Kayamandi. PHOTO: Kwanda Mkhonto
The marchers then went to the Stellenbosch police station to hand out another memorandum about unsafety in the community, which was received by Brigadier Sandile Sonjani, Stellenbosch police station commander.
Sonjani said he was glad people had marched “because for things to happen we need to work together”. He proposed a community policing forum “that is currently not functioning” in Kayamandi, be reactivated so residents could get involved.