Residents stage Mabahambe march in Benoni

By Marcus Moloko

A large group of residents from communities across Benoni gathered at the Sinaba Stadium in Daveyton under the banner “Mabahambe” (meaning “they must go”), in a march aimed at highlighting local concerns and demanding government intervention.

Organisers told reporters, “today we are gathered here in Sinaba Stadium, here in Daveyton. It’s regarding the same issue that we have, we want all undocumented immigrants to leave South Africa because we want to fix our country. We have a lot of problems. We have a lot of crimes that have been committed. When you try to find a person, you can’t find them because they are untraceable. They don’t have documents. They just come to the country illegally. We want them to go. We want them to go and fix their own countries as much as we also have our own problems that we want to fix here in South Africa.”

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The Mabahambe march forms part of a week-long series of regional demonstrations across Gauteng, culminating in Saturday’s gathering.

Organisers, including local civic groups and activists, have set a self-declared deadline of 30 June 2026 for undocumented foreign nationals to vacate the country.

The protests have already had a significant impact.

Immigrant-owned spaza shops in Actonville, Wattville, and Etwatwa closed pre-emptively amid fears of looting and xenophobic violence.

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Organisers blame undocumented immigrants for youth unemployment, drug trade, cable theft, and violent crime, claiming they dominate the informal economy.

Police have been deployed heavily across Benoni to monitor the crowds, prevent school children from joining, and maintain a buffer between marchers and local shops. Police officials confirmed they are engaging with organisers to manage tensions and prevent violence.

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