Durban, South Africa – The anti-illegal immigration group March and March has taken its campaign to the doorstep of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), staging a demonstration outside the 46th SADC Summit in Durban on Monday. The group, under the banner ‘It’s time to fetch your people’, is demanding that regional leaders repatriate undocumented foreign nationals, a move that could have far-reaching implications for Zimbabweans living in South Africa.

March and March leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma questioned why civil society organisations were not given a stronger voice at the summit, arguing that their real-life experiences should inform policy decisions. She called for practical border controls and legislation that she said would protect South Africans and put their interests first.

The group has warned heads of state to prepare for mass deportations of undocumented migrants by 30 September, and Ngobese-Zuma indicated the campaign would continue with increased intensity. She said South Africans were tired of feeling unsafe in their own country, while clarifying that the group does not oppose properly documented foreigners who contribute positively.

Zimbabwe, which has a substantial diaspora in South Africa, is one of the SADC member states likely to be directly affected by any push for repatriation. Many Zimbabweans have lived and worked south of the Limpopo for years, some without valid documentation, and the group’s demands could reignite debates about migration policies and bilateral relations between Harare and Pretoria.

The development adds pressure on SADC leaders to address undocumented migration, a long-standing regional challenge. As the summit continues, the protest underscores the growing calls from some quarters in South Africa for stricter immigration enforcement, and Zimbabwean authorities may face increased scrutiny over the welfare and legal status of their citizens abroad.