PICTURE: INSTAGRAM/ JACINTA NGOBESE- ZUMA
Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma has called on South Africans to remain peaceful and focused as demonstrations organised by the March and March movement take place across the country. She insisted that the protests are about prioritising South Africans and rebuilding the nation.
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In a lengthy social media post shared on the eve of the nationwide demonstrations, Jacinta reflected on her journey from aspiring to create change through formal education to becoming an activist through grassroots mobilisation.
Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma reflects on March and March
“I spent all my life believing I would get an education so that one day I could sit in boardrooms and make decisions that would change people’s lives. Little did I know that it would be the streets that would help me to do that,” she wrote.
Jacinta said the ongoing campaign to “reclaim” South Africa had reminded her of the protests held earlier this year outside Addington Primary School in Durban, where the March and March movement demonstrated over the placement of South African children in schools.
According to Jacinta, the January protests remain one of the most painful moments of her activism.
“I’m reminded that in January of 2026, we spent two weeks outside Addington Primary School protesting for the rights of South African children to get an education in their own country because they had been excluded by their own government,” she wrote.
She added that witnessing children spending their days outside school while awaiting placement left a lasting impact on her and reinforced her belief that South Africans should be prioritised.
The protests at Addington Primary School sparked national debate after the March and March movement alleged that South African children were being unfairly excluded from admission. The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education rejected claims that foreign learners were being prioritised over South African pupils, stating that the majority of enrolled learners at the school were South African citizens.
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The promotion of peace
As demonstrations take place across the country, Jacinta urged supporters not to engage in violence or destruction.
“Today is not about today; it is about the future of South Africa and, as we take to the streets, let us remember that this is not an opportunity to destroy our country, but it is an opportunity to press the reset button, rebuild, and allow the people of South Africa to be prioritised in their own country,” she wrote.
She further emphasised that the demonstrations should not be viewed as an attack on migrants.
“Today is not about migrants, but it is about the people of South Africa,” she said.
Her comments echo previous statements in which she insisted that the June 30 demonstrations were intended to be peaceful and focused on immigration policy and government accountability rather than violence or vigilantism.
Ending her message on a hopeful note, Jacinta encouraged supporters to view the demonstrations as the beginning of a broader movement.
“Today is not the end, but it’s only the beginning. Until we win,” she wrote.
The March and March demonstrations have prompted heightened security measures across several provinces, with authorities urging all participants to remain peaceful and to abide by the law.
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