Johannesburg – More than 25,000 people gathered in Soweto on Tuesday as anti-illegal immigration protests continued across parts of Gauteng, while police maintained a strong presence to monitor the demonstrations and prevent any unrest.
According to police, approximately 3,000 marchers from Diepkloof converged with demonstrators from Moroka at Chris Hani Road near Thokoza Park before proceeding towards Jabulani. The crowd later swelled to an estimated 10,000 people as the march continued.
No incidents were reported during the procession, with police confirming that the situation remained peaceful under close monitoring.
The demonstrators later arrived at the Jabulani UBC grounds in Soweto, where police estimated the crowd had grown to about 25,000 people. Organisers handed over a memorandum at the venue without any reported disruptions.
Elsewhere in Gauteng, authorities continued responding to developments linked to tensions surrounding undocumented foreign nationals.
In Mamelodi East, 30 Zimbabwean nationals who had sought refuge at a police station following an altercation were transported to the Lindela Repatriation Centre. However, they were reportedly not admitted because the group included children, with the facility currently accepting only Malawian nationals. The group also included Mozambican and Malawian nationals.
Officials from the Department of Home Affairs reportedly indicated that Malawi is facing challenges in receiving additional deportees due to capacity constraints and the absence of processing centres within the country, apart from those located at border posts.
Meanwhile, intelligence reports from Tshwane indicated an ongoing standoff in Hammanskraal between residents and police. Residents allegedly accused law enforcement of protecting undocumented foreign nationals, while the Themba Taxi Association was also accused of shielding foreign nationals.
Police remained deployed across affected areas on Tuesday as authorities continued to monitor the situation and urged residents to remain calm.
No major outbreaks of violence had been reported at the time of publication.