March and March leader calls on e-hailing drivers to bring the city to a standstill

The leadership of the March and March Movement has ratcheted up pressure against state administrative policies, with national coordinator Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma calling on e-hailing drivers and transport operators across Durban to prepare for a massive citywide shutdown on 10 November. Speaking during an appearance on the KZN Tonight Podcast, Ngobese-Zuma directed her anger at the government’s mooted plans to implement digital platforms for asylum-seeker applications, warning that civil society would forcefully resist any policy that streamlines documentation processes for foreign nationals while local citizens continue to experience deep economic marginalization.

During her broadcast address, Ngobese-Zuma argued that the state’s prioritization of digital solutions for refugees is deeply misplaced. She asserted that if the government possesses the technological capability and administrative resources to launch online portals for immigration services, those same digital innovations should instead be deployed to assist the millions of marginalized South Africans who struggle daily without basic identification documents. According to the movement, millions of local citizens remain locked out of job opportunities, state social grants, and banking services due to bureaucratic hurdles, making it unconscionable for authorities to roll out specialized digital convenience measures for foreign individuals claiming asylum status.

The threat of a coordinated 10 November shutdown adds further volatility to an already tense political landscape in KwaZulu-Natal, where transport workers, informal traders, and civic coalitions have maintained rolling protests against illegal immigration, unemployment, and municipal neglect. By targeting e-hailing networks and local transport associations, the movement aims to mobilize a high-impact motorcade capable of bringing commercial activity in Durban to a complete standstill. Organizers maintain that continuous public mobilization is necessary to force the national administration to reverse course on immigration concessions, tighten border management, and prioritize the socioeconomic survival of domestic workers.

Law enforcement agencies and municipal authorities are closely monitoring the growing calls for industrial disruption, balancing the constitutional rights of public assembly against the severe risks of economic sabotage and public violence. As the November deadline approaches, the confrontation between grassroots civic organizations and state departments highlights a widening chasm over national identity, border compliance, and the allocation of public resources in urban centers.

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