Jacinta Ngobese and the organizers of March and March had one goal: keep it peaceful, keep it purposeful. They succeeded.
Thousands of South Africans moved through cities across the country today with discipline and quiet resolve. The marches were overwhelmingly peaceful, a demonstration that citizens worn down by years of rising crime, unemployment and collapsing public services could channel their frustrations through lawful democratic action rather than violence.
The streets looked different in many parts of the country. Public spaces were cleaner. The uncontrolled trading that has become synonymous with lawlessness was noticeably absent in many areas. For many South Africans, today offered a glimpse of the orderly, law-abiding country they believe their nation can and should become.
The current administration had insisted beforehand that today would be simply another normal working, school and business day. In one respect, that prediction held. South Africans continued to demonstrate that they are responsible citizens. But the scale and character of the turnout sent a different message: a nation saying enough.
ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba, who has long stated he has unfinished business in the City of Johannesburg, extended that conviction to the broader national stage. “Today, I say with even greater conviction that I have unfinished business not only in Johannesburg, but in South Africa,” he said. Mashaba had been among the few political party leaders who openly supported the marches in recent weeks, a position that drew repeated questioning and criticism across mainstream media platforms. He was challenged extensively during interviews, including on the Frank Dialogue platform and the Sunday World Podcast, with interviewers asking whether he would take responsibility if the demonstrations turned violent and people lost their lives.
His response then and now remained consistent: he believed in the people of South Africa.
That belief proved justified. Citizens who have endured years of hardship chose peace over violence, demonstrating that no amount of fearmongering could erase the simple truth that South Africans are capable of standing together when their voices are ignored.
By contrast, the conversation driving today’s demonstrations was never about hatred, violence or xenophobia, according to those who organized and participated. It rested on one principle: the rule of law must apply equally to everyone. Every sovereign nation has both the right and the obligation to secure its borders, regulate immigration and enforce its laws without fear or favour. For Mashaba, protecting the citizens of South Africa is the hill he is prepared to die on.
The organizational efforts of Ngobese and the March and March leadership helped ensure the demonstrations remained disciplined throughout the day. More information about the march’s framing and context is available at https://www.actionsa.org.za/unfinished-business-the-voice-of-south-africans-cannot-be-ignored/
When governments stop listening, nations begin speaking. Today, South Africans spoke peacefully. The question now is whether government will respond before they have to speak again.