March and March protestors threaten to stop MTN8 final between Pirates and Sundowns

March and March protestors and members of the Zulu regiments (Amabutho) have said that they will disrupt the much-awaited MTN8 final between Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns which will take place at the Moses Mabhida Stadium tonight (Saturday) at 6:00pm.

From Friday, thousands of football fans started arriving in Durban for the showpiece clash. Matches between the Buccaneers and Masandawana are one of the biggest sporting events in the country, especially with the two clubs in top form and having the majority of Bafana Bafana players in their teams.

The protestors say that they will block supporters from entering the stadium as their fight and activism against illegal and undocumented foreigners gains momentum. This week, protests escalated following a Department of Home Affairs circular and a July 2026 Constitutional Court ruling that struck down parts of the Refugees Act, allowing new asylum applications after years of office closures.

READ: Bucs and Downs look to settle old scores in MTN8 final moment of truth

Said one of the popular activists who is known as Magolide: “We want undocumented foreigners to leave SA, we want to push them away with our government because we voted for this government. If not, there’s the MTN8 final between Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates at Moses Mabhida Stadium – we are going to close the doors in the morning. There’s no football final that will take place when we are losing our country. To those guys who love soccer, there’s no football game that will take place – we are fighting for our country, and you guys want to watch a soccer match, that is rubbish…”

The March and March movement is an anti-illegal immigration and civic advocacy group in South Africa that has staged nationwide protests and blockades outside Department of Home Affairs offices.

The group first gained public attention in 2025 by stationing volunteers outside public hospitals and clinics in KwaZulu-Natal (such as Addington and R.K. Khan hospitals) to demand South African ID documents from people seeking entry.

READ: Sundowns vow to overcome their MTN8 ‘Achilles heel’ against Pirates

In early 2026, the leadership shifted tactics from clinic gatekeeping to broader anti-illegal immigration rallies and a “30 June” deadline campaign. The movement is led by Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma.

Demonstrations, blockades, and clashes have erupted across multiple cities, including Durban (Che Guevara Road Refugee Centre), Marabastad/Pretoria, Johannesburg CBD, Hillbrow, Orlando East, Epping (Cape Town), and Flagstaff (Eastern Cape).

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.