S'Africans Protest over Foreign Workers Ends in Clashes with Police

South African police used rubber bullets and teargas on Wednesday to break up a march in Durban, where hundreds of demonstrators demanded tougher measures against undocumented immigrants.  

The protest, organised by political activists and the vigilante group Operation Dudula, saw participants carrying placards and chanting against foreigners. 

Some shopkeepers closed early amid fears of looting, and police intervened after reports of harassment and theft by a small group within the crowd.  

ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba told supporters: "People can call us names but we cannot allow a situation where our country is being destroyed before our very own eyes. 

"We are seeing our government allowing our country to be flooded by groups from all over the world… So we are saying to our government this is unacceptable."

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Among those marching was 81‑year‑old Thembi Dlamini from Clermont, who accused officials of corruption and warned that jobs were being lost to undocumented migrants.

"Jobs are being taken away by our brothers from other parts of Africa who are here illegally. Where will our children get jobs?" she asked.  

The demonstration further shows the growing unease in South Africa, where unemployment stands at nearly 32 per cent. 

Official figures show around three million foreign nationals, about 5.1 per cent of the population, currently live in the country.