Go Back and Fix Your Countries: South Africans Chase Ugandans and Other Africans from Their Country

In what is seen as a reversal of the spirit of Ubuntu, South Africans are chasing Ugandans and other Africans from their country. A deadline has been set for all foreigners, especially the illegal ones, to return to their countries.

The efforts to chase Ugandans and other Africans from South Africa are being led by March and March, a South African grassroots movement.

Led by activists like Nkosiikhona Phakel’umthakathi Ndabandaba and Jacinta Zinhle MaNgobese Zuma, the movement says it is prioritizing ‘South Africa First’ strategy by forcing all undocumented foreign nationals out of the country.

In marches and protests in Pretoria, Johannesburg, Durban, Eastern Cape and other areas, the movement has emphasized the need to send foreigners away as a way of fixing immigration, crime, and competition with local traders.

Giving foreigners a June 2026 deadline, the March to March Movement has even handed memoranda to government offices.

While the March and March Movement insists that removal of foreigners will reduce crime, offer South Africans job opportunities and improve social services for citizens, it has been criticized for xenophobia.

In a recent video, Phakel was heard telling a Congolese migrant to ignore the South African governments assurance of protection and return home before June 30, saying he would not guarantee how foreigners will be treated after that deadline.

“We don’t want to see you in this country after June 30th. I cannot guarantee your safety in this country after 30th June. Don’t listen to the government or the police,” Phakel told a Congolese.

“Just go back to your country.”

He also interacted with a Ugandan who said he had gone to South Africa for a cooking job. Phakel told the Ugandan immigrant that it was unconstitutional for foreigners to go to South Africa to do such petty jobs which can be done by citizens.

Ugandans have been reacting to the video and the March and March Movement deadline and threats.

Former spymaster Gen David Sejusa found the move and threats funny, and those behind it imprudent.

“I find this really funny! Congolese man had taken dollars to pay fees for his children’s school fees in South African Schools. The EDUCATION INDUSTRY is a money making machine for Countries world over! And the bl0ckhe@d doesn’t even ask if the gentleman resides in South Africa or just a visitor on Visa!” reacted Sejusa.

“As for my Ugandan son, he went to cook food in S.A because there thousands of Illegal immigrant Indians and Chinese cooking food here in Kampala; chapati, madaazi….! So probably thought it was ok?”

While criticizing the move as anti-Ubuntu, philosophy professor Dr Jimmy Spire Ssentongo castigated African leaders who loot their countries and then blame colonialists who left decades ago.

“Ugandans and other Africans being chased by black South Africans: “go back and fix your countries”. It’s very unfortunate what black South Africans are doing,” wrote Ssentongo, who recently won an international award.

“What is worse, are the greedy heartless leaders looting their countries and living in wasteful luxury instead of improving the conditions for their people not to end up running to other countries (even deserts) for survival amidst dehumanisation. Then we blame colonialists!”

The move by South Africans is similar to a Donald Trump policy against illegal aliens, which has also affected a number of Ugandans including a pastor who ran away from Museveni’s Uganda.