Event Summary
On 14 January 2026, as schools reopened, dozens of parents alongside anti-migrant groups such as March and March Movement, Operation Dudula and supporters linked to the uMkhonto weSizwe political party held several protests outside Addington Primary School in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. The anti-migrant groups alleged that the school was prioritising the placement of children of foreign nationals over South African learners and demanded that 66 local learners, including the 40 learners displaced by floods to be accommodated at the school.
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education strongly rejected these allegations and released official enrolment data indicating that Addington Primary School had reached its capacity, with a total enrolment of 1,548 learners. Of these, 968 were South African citizens and 580 were foreign nationals. They further clarified that among the 17 undocumented learners, 12 were South African and only five were foreign nationals
Tensions escalated on 21 January 2026 between foreign nationals and South African parents. The police responded with stun grenades and water cannons to disperse the crowd and protect learners. Following the unrest, the police opened a case of incitement to commit public violence against protestors associated with the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), Operation Dudula, and the March and March Movement. On 27 January 2026, March and March Movement leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma voluntarily presented herself at Point Police station. She denied the allegations of public violence brought against her and subsequently laid counter-charges against the police. Her legal representatives subsequently reached an agreement with the investigating officer that the three implicated individuals would present themselves at a later date to provide formal statements.
The protests drew national concern due to their xenophobic character and the risk they posed to children’s right to education and peaceful assembly. CSOs including the Southern Africa Refugee Organisations Forum (SAROF), condemned the protests as discriminatory and unlawful, warning that schools should not be used as sites for xenophobic mobilisation or political intimidation.
On 29 January 2026, the KwaZulu-Natal Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Education Sipho Hlomuka ordered that the 26 flood-affected learners be absorbed at Addington Primary School as an extraordinary measure, emphasising that solutions must be found within the law and without disrupting school operations.