Leader of March And March Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma outside the Point police station. Picture: Wendy Sithole/Berea Mail Civil society groups are coming under fire for targeting children in immigration disputes, with education experts warning that no organisation has the authority to block pupils from classrooms. Recent clashes at Addington Primary School in Durban – where members of the March and March Movement (MAM), Operation Dudula and uMkhonto weSizwe party reportedly tried to deregister the children of undocumented parents – have reignited concerns about xenophobia, vigilantism and the constitutional right to education.
MAM leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma is facing public violence charges in connection with these protests. A few days ago, a fight erupted between the organisation’s members and some foreign nationals who are parents of pupils. Education expert Hendrick Makaneta said no individual or organisation has the right to block a child from accessing education.
He said targeting children under the guise of dealing with illegal immigrants was prohibited by law. “Schools should be safe spaces for learning and teaching, not sites where pupils are intimidated,” Makaneta said. “Allowing children of foreign nationals to register does not take rights away from South African children.
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The real problem is the failure of the government to provide service delivery. “We cannot blame migrant children for the government’s inability to plan effectively.” Makaneta said the government’s failure in migration management was real and must be addressed, but that failure does not justify vigilantism.
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