South Africa’s anti-immigration movement, March and March, has issued a fresh deadline of September 30, 2026, for undocumented foreigners to leave the country.

The group announced the new deadline on Monday, August 17, during a protest in Durban held alongside the 46th Ordinary Summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

March and March protesters marched through central Durban under the theme, “It’s time to fetch your people,” calling on African leaders attending the summit to take responsibility for their citizens living in South Africa without valid immigration documents.

The group also urged SADC governments to prepare for what it described as the mass deportation of undocumented foreign nationals by September 30. It said the date would mark what it called the “mother of all protests.”

The latest announcement follows a nationwide demonstration held by the movement on June 30, when it demanded tougher enforcement of immigration laws and called for undocumented migrants to leave the country.

Security was heightened around Durban as the SADC summit brought together leaders from the regional bloc’s 16 member states. Migration and the movement of people within the region were among the issues receiving attention during the summit.

The development has renewed concerns over anti-immigrant sentiment in South Africa, particularly among citizens of other African countries. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has previously condemned discrimination and violence against foreign nationals and acknowledged the harm such incidents can cause to relations with neighbouring countries.

The September 30 deadline announced by March and March is a demand from the protest group, not an official South African government deportation deadline. Any deportations or immigration enforcement actions remain subject to South African law and government authorities.