Durban protest erupts over illegal immigration: Demonstrators target alleged drug den

Tensions are running high in central Durban where a large anti-illegal immigration protest got under way on Wednesday afternoon.

A group of demonstrators, many of them brandishing sticks and shamboks, have been marching through Dr Pixely kaSeme Street on their way to Durban’s Point area.

They descended on a building on Mahatma Gandhi Street, claiming it is being used for drug-related activities.

Protesters target building amid allegations of drug activity and police involvement

Some of the protesters claim to have evidence of the alleged illegal activity and have accused police officers of involvement.

A group of police officers were seen filing inside the building. There was heavy police presence there.

The marchers' final destination is Gugu Dlamini Park in Durban central.

A group of male protesters were seated on Mahatma Gandhi Street singing as they waited for march leader Ngizwe Mchunu, who was inside a nearby building that is being searched.

Nkosikhona Ndabandaba says they have been told there are drugs in the building and they have evidence.

" We have evidence that there are police who are working with the criminals in this building. We have police that are doing business with these criminal, and we have police that know that there are drugs in this building, but they are not doing anything. So there's been a call from the police that we as a community, we must help the police.

"There's been a call from the police that if we see criminality, we must report it to the police. So we are cooperating with the police. We are telling them to search this building because we have evidence that involve police with this building. But we don't want to name them. We want them to cleanse themselves."

March and March leader Jacinta Ngobese Zuma have accused police of getting tip offs before the raids.

 "They're not going act and every time that there's a raid, these guys get a tip-off before hand that the police are coming. So it's really difficult to operate in a situation where the criminals are also part of the police."

Presidency urges balanced view as immigration protests spread nationwide

Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya meanwhile says that labelling the protests as evidence that South Africa is xenophobic is lazy analysis that overlooks the deeper issues at play.

He was responding to questions about protests taking place across the country over illegal immigration.

Magwenya has added that President Cyril Ramaphosa and Daniel Francisco Chapo agreed that South Africans are not inherently xenophobic, and that African countries must work together to address the root causes of migration.

He says South Africa remains a welcoming country, describing its people as open, friendly and warm.

Magwenya says crime concerns must be handled through law enforcement

"There are genuine concerns that communities have with respect to crime, crimes that are committed by foreign nationals, where the president expects law enforcement, again, to act without any fear or favours, and also to say to those who are visitors in our country, they must respect and conform with our laws.

“If they break the law, they will face the full might of the law, just as all of us are expected to respect the law."

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