March & March Teams Up With AfriForum to Discuss Community-Based Solutions
Quick answer: March & March has met with AfriForum to discuss community-based solutions in South Africa, including security, education, community upliftment, border security, the rule of law and mother-tongue education. The meeting comes as March & March moves beyond its protest-movement roots to build a broader civic structure focused on advocacy and community initiatives, with leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma pointing to AfriForum as a model for that structure.
Why Did March & March Meet With AfriForum?
The engagement follows March & March’s recent announcement that it plans to establish new organisations to expand its civic and legal advocacy work.
Ngobese-Zuma has previously said the movement does not intend to become a political party. Instead, she’s said it wants to build a civic organisation similar to AfriForum — one that can advocate for citizens and run community-based initiatives, rather than compete in electoral politics.
As part of that shift, the movement has announced:
- SA First Forum — a social-justice litigation organisation
- March & March Foundation — a humanitarian non-profit initiative
Ngobese-Zuma has said this model could eventually support projects such as schools and other community-focused initiatives.
What Did AfriForum and March & March Discuss?
According to a statement shared after the meeting, discussions centred on:
- Community security
- Education
- Community upliftment
- Border security
- The rule of law
- Mother-tongue education
- Building stronger, more resilient communities
- Community self-sufficiency
The conversation reflects March & March’s stated intent to build a longer-term civic and advocacy structure, rather than relying solely on public demonstrations. On its own website, March & March describes itself as a citizen-led movement advocating for stronger immigration enforcement and the protection of opportunities for South African citizens.
March & March Wants to Build an AfriForum-Style Model
March & March has openly named AfriForum as a reference point for the kind of organisation it wants to become.
Ngobese-Zuma has said the movement wants to create a structure through which South Africans can advocate for their rights, pursue legal action, and eventually support community projects — with SA First Forum handling legal advocacy and the March & March Foundation focused on humanitarian work.
This marks a notable shift for a movement founded in 2025 that built its national profile primarily through demonstrations around undocumented immigration and enforcement of South Africa’s immigration laws.
Will March & March Become a Political Party?
No — at least not based on current statements from its leadership. Despite public speculation, Ngobese-Zuma has said March & March does not currently intend to register as a political party. She’s argued that staying outside formal party politics allows the organisation to engage with people regardless of political affiliation, positioning March & March as a civic advocacy body rather than an electoral one.
A Movement That Has Drawn Both Support and Criticism
March & March has become one of the most visible voices in South Africa’s ongoing debate over undocumented immigration. The organisation says its focus is immigration enforcement and the rule of law, not race or xenophobia.
That framing hasn’t stopped criticism: opponents argue that some of the movement’s protests and rhetoric have contributed to anti-foreigner sentiment in the country. March & March has rejected claims that its campaigns are driven by xenophobia, maintaining that its core demand is the lawful enforcement of existing immigration policy. Its activities to date have centred on protests and calls for undocumented foreign nationals to be processed in accordance with the law.
What Does This Meeting Mean for South Africa?
The AfriForum meeting could point to a broader trend: community-led advocacy operating outside traditional party-political structures.
Both organisations have built substantial public profiles around citizen advocacy, though they come from different historical and political contexts. For March & March, engaging with an established civic organisation like AfriForum offers exposure to different approaches to legal advocacy, community organising and public-interest campaigning. For AfriForum, the meeting is a chance to broaden the conversation around community-based solutions and citizen participation to newer movements.
Whether this develops into a formal, ongoing partnership remains to be seen.
What Is March & March?
March & March is a South African citizen-led movement founded by Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma in 2025. It describes its mission as protecting South African citizens, strengthening immigration enforcement, promoting accountability, and empowering communities. The movement has held demonstrations nationally and gained prominence through campaigns centred on undocumented immigration, local employment, and access to resources. It has since signalled plans to expand into legal advocacy and humanitarian work.
What Is AfriForum?
AfriForum is a South African civil-rights organisation campaigning on issues including community safety, education, language rights, property rights and local governance. It has built a network of community structures and legal advocacy initiatives across the country. March & March’s leadership has specifically pointed to this model as an example of how a civic organisation can build community infrastructure and pursue legal action outside formal party politics.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did March & March and AfriForum discuss? Community-based solutions spanning security, education, community upliftment, border security, the rule of law and mother-tongue education.
Is March & March becoming a political party? No. Leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma has said the movement intends to remain a civic organisation rather than register as a political party.
What is the SA First Forum? A non-profit legal advocacy organisation established by March & March to pursue social-justice litigation and related legal initiatives.
Who founded March & March? Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma founded March & March in 2025.
What does March & March campaign for? Primarily stronger immigration enforcement, protection of opportunities for South African citizens, and what it describes as greater accountability and enforcement of existing law.
Is March & March the same organisation as AfriForum? No — they’re separate organisations. March & March has said it wants to model parts of its future civic structure on AfriForum’s approach.
