Migrant protesters boldly made their intentions known as early as 7 am as they began to gather in different parts of South Africa.
In Benoni, tensions are high as a group of more than 500 demonstrators is marching. Some are carrying bottles of alcohol.
Police and security personnel find it difficult to manage the surging crowd here. In the struggle with them, mostly with sticks and some with bottles of alcohol, the police came face to face with threats and intimidation.
Though tactical vehicles have been deployed in the area, the South African Police and security were driven away from a street after being outnumbered by the large, aggressive crowd.
At a point Police fired shots shortly after they were pursued by the demonstrators. At this stage, it’s unclear if the shots were rubber bullets or live ammunition, or if anyone was injured. It’s a fast-developing situation.
Parts of the group dispersed as many began to flee.
In Alexandra, Johannesburg, protesters also troop out in their hundreds, the Police Ministry confirms arrests for looting and attempted looting,
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In a statement released on Tuesday, the Ministry of Police confirmed that arrests had been made as a result of the protests, but did not provide the number of arrests or locations.
Acting Police Minister Firoz Chachalia warned that those committing criminal acts “will face the full might of the law”.
In Cape Town, most of the shops were locked down.
Several spaza shops around Cape Town’s inner city were closed on Tuesday, 30 June, as March and March and Operation Dudula protesters gathered outside the provincial parliament in Wale Street. This area is usually bustling on a weekday morning, but is eerily quiet today.
Police estimate that the size of the crowd moving through Marshaltown and Johannesburg CBD has grown to 800–900 people.
In Durbar, singing and dancing of protesters began to swell early in the morning.
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The march from King Dinuzulu Park was meant to start at 9 am, but it seems the protesters have been swept up in the fanfare, with many still singing and dancing in the park.
A March and March leader told the crowd: “We are not here to fight, we are not here to cause violence; this is a peaceful march. We will march to the police and hand over our memorandum peacefully.”
The crowd has been shouting: “Down with Ramaphosa, down!” and “Viva Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, viva!”
Although it was rumoured that March and March leader Ngobese-Zuma would be on the ground in Durban today, she is nowhere to be seen.
A group of demonstrators briefly broke away from the main crowd gathered at the park to fetch amabutho (traditional Zulu warriors) up the road.
The two groups have now merged and are marching back down the street to join the King Dinuzulu Park group.
There is no indication of when the official march will actually begin, but the air in the CBD is decidedly charged.
Gqeberha police arrest 76 undocumented foreign nationals found living in one house
In Gqeberha, Police say it has arrested 76 undocumented foreign nationals the previous day, as part of the ongoing operational deployment.
SAPS spokesperson Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg the police were alerted to suspicious activity at a house in Havelock Street, in Gqeberha’s Central area, and found 76 undocumented foreigners living in one house. Seven of those in the house were children.
In addition three suspects, two from Uganda and one from Malawi, were arrested on charges of aiding and abetting undocumented foreign nationals, the distribution of fraudulent documents and possession of counterfeit goods.
