Four individuals believed to be affiliated with the March and March movement were arrested in Johannesburg over the weekend following allegations of a home invasion involving a Congolese family.
The incident was confirmed by the Chairperson of the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS), Lieutenant-General Tebello Mosikili, during a media briefing on Monday outlining police readiness ahead of Tuesday’s planned anti-illegal immigration protests.
Mosikili said the group allegedly entered the family’s home and harassed the occupants, leading to charges of public violence and house robbery.
She added that the suspects form part of a broader set of cases linked to what authorities describe as rising “anti-foreigner sentiment” across the country.
According to NATJOINTS data, 103 related cases have been registered as of March 2026, resulting in 195 arrests nationwide.
A provincial breakdown shows KwaZulu-Natal recorded 39 cases with 11 arrests, while the Eastern Cape logged 12 cases and nine arrests. In the Free State, 29 cases have led to 153 arrests, while the Western Cape reported 15 cases and 14 arrests. Gauteng recorded four cases with five arrests, and Mpumalanga reported three cases resulting in three arrests.
Mosikili also noted that immigration enforcement operations have continued alongside these investigations, with authorities confirming that individuals found to be in the country illegally are also being arrested.
She said more than 2,800 people were arrested over the past week alone, while more than 50,000 arrests have been made since January 2026.
NATJOINTS says it remains on high alert ahead of Tuesday’s planned demonstrations, with law enforcement deployed nationwide to maintain order and prevent further incidents of violence or intimidation.