The locals, armed with pamphlets and information about rights, are urging people to speak out against violence, harassment and division fuelled by groups like March and March.

Alida Mpombo, originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, has lived with her family in Yeoville, Johannesburg, since 2009, where she runs a second-hand clothing shop with her husband.

Despite repeated efforts, her family has been struggling since 2024 to renew their asylum papers. Returning to the DRC is not an option, she says, because her village is in a war zone.

Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn

Mpombo says her family always enjoyed Yeoville's vibrant and diverse community. But attitudes have shifted with the rise of xenophobic groups like March and March.

This past year, Operation Dudula members denied healthcare access to immigrants at Yeoville's clinics. Following a court interdict obtained by Kopanag Africa Against Xenophobia (KAAX) and others, the clinic started assisting immigrants with valid documents. However, activists say that since the March and the March protests started in the area around April, access has been denied again.

Mpombo and other immigrants told GroundUp they are regularly targeted and harassed in Yeoville.

Vigilante groups target shops, salons, the local clinic and street traders.

This led activists from the Siyafana Sonke Campaign - made up of various civil society groups - to picket the Yeoville Clinic on the weekend, calling for an end to...