Led by figures like Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma of March and March, protesters call for mass deportations, halted refugee applications, and local hiring priorities to ease poverty in communities. The government acknowledges pressures on healthcare and housing, having deported 57,784 people in the 2025/26 year, while police warn against violence amid fears of repeats from 2008 and 2019 riots.
Critics like former EFF MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi urge calm, warning of self-destruction, as authorities hold urgent meetings and brace for escalation.