Rosettenville Residents Take to the Streets, SA Angry As Comunity Accuse Cops of Helping Foreigners

• Residents of Rosettenville, in the south of Johannesburg, handed a memorandum over to the Booysens Police Station
• Residents are unhappy with foreign nationals and corrupt cops in their area and are demanding action from the government
• South Africans weighed in on the group's actions, with many sharing their thoughts on undocumented foreigners

Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.

GAUTENG – Illegal immigration remains a huge issue in the country, and many South Africans have had enough.

Foreigners outnumber locals in the country's prisons, and many South Africans believe that they contribute to the country's high crime rate.

Angry residents in Rosettenville, in the south of Johannesburg, took to the streets to express unhappiness with the illegal immigration problem in their area. The group, operating under the banner of March and March, made their way to the Booysens Police Station on Wednesday, 09 July 2025, to hand over a memorandum.

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What are the residents unhappy about?

In their memorandum, the residents called for an end to corruption within the police force. The group said that officers were working with illegal immigrants who were committing crimes in the area.

Speaking to eNCA, one marcher said they wish they could change the whole police force to stop corruption. She explained that if anyone was arrested, they would be asked to give money, and if they didn’t have any cash, they were told to e-wallet the funds.

Community members also alleged that their clinics and hospitals were under strain because of the large number of undocumented foreign nationals who required treatment.

Thandeka Masondo, one of the protestors, also questioned whether there was any policing of illegal immigrants in the country.

"Where is immigration? Why do we have so many illegal people around here roaming the streets as if they own us? What's happening? Who's at the borders? Who's working there? Is there immigration in South Africa? Are there police in South Africa? Where's our president?" she asked.

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Protests against illegal immigrants have been much more frequent of late, with Operation Dudula also preventing undocumented foreigners from accessing healthcare services in Gauteng. Public Order Police were also dispatched to deal with such cases.

How did South Africans react?

Social media users also expressed unhappiness with foreign nationals being in the country, with many saying it was time they left.

Disego Riks said:

“The people of this country shall govern. We are voters and have a right to be heard. The power is in our hands. In the 2026 Local Government Elections and the 2029 National Elections, we shall elect a party that listens to us voters.”

Seani Mutwanamba stated:

“Our government is proud to say that undocumented or illegal immigrants have rights.”

Lemo KG Mat added:

“If the government doesn't care about the citizens, then the citizens must act fast.

Hlengiwe Maphumulo said:

“We are fighting for our country and the future. They must go and do the same in their countries.”

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Rams Maphosa joked:

“Seems like rent money will be going down next year😂.”

Kaya Rwai Rwai stated:

“This needs to intensify. Foreign nationals are really a big problem in this country. Imagine over a million that are in our prisons.”

Bahlanganise Ka Gaba noted:

“They are still protesting now, and the government doesn't take them seriously. Wait until the protest turns into real civil unrest, then they will say they are shocked.”

SAHRC defends the rights of foreign nationals

Briefly News also reported that many people were upset with the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC).

The SAHRC defended the rights of foreign nationals to access free healthcare in the country.

The statement came after Operation Dudula attempted to prevent undocumented foreigners from accessing clinics.

Source: Briefly News