South African Court Imposes Strict Limits on Anti-Migrant Demonstrations in Durban
A South African High Court in Durban has granted an interim order restricting the activities of the anti-migrant group March and March, allowing planned demonstrations to proceed only under strict new legal conditions.
The ruling by Judge Peter Olsen follows a court application brought by acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia to curb escalating xenophobic violence, which culminated in the fatal beating of a foreign national in Durban last week and the subsequent deployment of over five hundred soldiers by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
While permitting the group to demonstrate, the court ordered that marches take place strictly between 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM, banning participants from carrying weapons or wearing face coverings, and prohibiting any property destruction or attacks on Home Affairs facilities.
The legal battle comes days before South Africa’s local elections on November 4, where anti-migrant sentiment has emerged as a central campaign focal point. Police counsel warned the court that security forces are already stretched thin, citing intelligence of alleged plots by agitators to target refugee reception centers.
Outside the court, demonstrators supported by political groups including ActionSA and the uMkhonto weSizwe Party gathered in solidarity, while legal representatives for March and March maintained that the movement advocates for lawful immigration enforcement and denies responsibility for sporadic violenc
