Achmat calls for charges against March and March leaders
CAPE TOWN — Activist Zackie Achmat has accused the government of failing to protect immigrants from violent attacks and called for March and March leaders to face prosecution under laws addressing crimes against humanity.
In a post on X, Achmat named Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, Xolani Zuma and Siphiwe Mbatha-Moyo, alleging that authorities had failed to act against violence and displacement targeting Black and Brown immigrants. He described the attacks as “pogroms” and “ethnic cleansing” and accused police of allowing displacement to continue. These are Achmat’s allegations and characterisations, rather than findings of criminal liability.
His intervention follows days of unrest in Durban and Soweto, where vehicles were burned and foreign-owned shops looted. EWN also reported houses torched in Durban’s Umbilo area on Friday. Its initial report said those responsible for setting the fires had not been established.
The notes accompanying Achmat’s post argue that blocking refugee reception offices, attacking property and intimidating people seeking asylum undermine constitutional rights. However, the documents acknowledge important evidentiary gaps, including that their cited sources do not establish that March and March leaders directed the arson reported on 8 and 9 October.
Achmat also drew attention to News24’s investigation into government contracts linked to Ngobese-Zuma and her husband, Xolani Zuma. News24 described an apparent conflict between their state business and the movement’s plans to challenge the government in court. The existence of government contracts does not, by itself, establish procurement wrongdoing.
The investigation has prompted a separate dispute over journalist safety. The South African National Editors’ Forum condemned Ngobese-Zuma’s publication of News24 reporter Khaya Koko’s telephone number alongside his request for comment. According to Sanef, Koko subsequently received more than 100 hostile calls and messages, including threats. Ngobese-Zuma challenged the reporting as false in her social media response and later removed his number after a legal demand.
Achmat’s accompanying notes also condemn rape and death threats directed at Ngobese-Zuma, saying political disagreements cannot justify such conduct.
The prosecution he advocates would require evidence meeting specific legal standards. Under the Rome Statute, crimes against humanity involve qualifying conduct committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population, together with the required knowledge and other elements. Achmat’s demand does not establish that those requirements have been met by any individual he names.
Police have meanwhile reported arrests linked to the Durban unrest, with suspects facing public violence and malicious damage to property charges.
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