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Benjamin Moafrica Wa Maila Maila, a Pedi man who is an advocate from Limpopo, has alleged that members of the March and March movement harassed him on Thursday, demanding to see his identity document (ID).
Maila said the incident occurred in Bosman Street in Pretoria while he was walking back to his car after buying coffee. About seven men, dressed in March and March T-shirts and traditional Zulu headbands, allegedly approached him, asked where he was from, and demanded to see his ID to verify that he was not a foreigner.
Despite explaining that he is a Pedi man from Limpopo, Maila said the group continued to accuse him of being a foreigner.
“They thought I was a foreigner because of my dark complexion,” Maila said. “One of them asked me, ‘Are you sure you’re not from Nigeria?’ They drew a conclusion about me based solely on my physical appearance.”
Sensing that the confrontation could easily escalate, Maila decided to comply and produced his ID.
“I reached a point where I could tell this was going to turn violent. The tension was getting very intense,” he recalled. “I could sense that things could go either way, and I wanted to prevent the worst from happening. I was standing next to my car, surrounded by six or seven men, with nowhere to move or run. I didn’t know what weapons they might have had or how far they would go, but judging by their tone, they seemed ready to fight. It was a choice between having my car damaged or being physically attacked. I decided to diffuse the situation by showing them my ID.”
According to Maila, the group ceased their aggressive stance once they confirmed he was a South African. He then asked them what would have happened if he had not been carrying his ID.
“They literally told me, ‘besizosebenza ngawe’,” Maila said, meaning they would have “dealt” with him.
After the group walked away, Maila was left terrified, reflecting on what could have happened. He noted that he then saw the same group approach another man and subject him to the same treatment, adding that the second victim later reached out to him.
Maila chose not to report the matter to the police and simply went about his day. While the experience was traumatic, he reasoned that the perpetrators might have been criminals using the March and March movement’s name to extort money, especially since there was no protest occurring in the area at the time.
“I think these guys believe there are people who will succumb to fear and give them money, and I think they have succeeded a lot,” Maila said.
The incident comes in the wake of intensifying anti-illegal immigrant protests across the country. Maila has urged the leaders of the movement to take responsibility and address the behaviour of their members, while also calling on the police to be more vigilant.
“I have heard their arguments and I understand their frustrations, but I think they should push for lawful enforcement rather than a blanket approach that targets everyone. Their message is not clear; they need to clarify it. Furthermore, what criteria are they using to determine who they target?” Maila questioned, noting that such profiling puts people from Limpopo in danger due to physical stereotyping.
Maila said the incident has heightened his anxiety, noting that even his nine-year-old son has experienced discrimination at school. “He asked me what a kwerekwere [a derogatory term for foreigners] is, and if we are foreigners,” Maila said.
The incident has sparked widespread concern, with critics arguing that these protests are becoming increasingly dangerous by targeting individuals based solely on appearance, regardless of their legal status.
Law enforcement officials have repeatedly warned protest groups against conducting illegal, unauthorised ID inspections. Meanwhile, March and March has maintained that its actions are strictly targeted at undocumented foreigners.
TimesLIVE
Innocentia Nkadimeng
www.timeslive.co.za
