Yesterday, Sedgefield seemingly became a focal point of anti-immigrant tensions brought on by the controversial ‘30 June March and March’ campaign, with Slangepark in Smutsville emerging as the hot spot while the rest of Knysna reportedly remained comparatively calm – at least at time of this paper going to press.

By early evening on the day nationally earmarked as a stand against undocumented immigrants, 219 foreign nationals, including men, women and children, were being sheltered at Sedgefield Town Hall, as authorities worked to prevent the situation from escalating further.

The day’s events unfolded against a backdrop of heightened concern across the Greater Knysna Municipality, where residents, safety officials and community leaders had been bracing for planned protest action linked to the national campaign. SAPS and Municipal Law Enforcement were out in numbers to meet any trouble head-on.

In a statement issued on 29 June, Knysna Municipality said it had finalised coordinated operational plans with SAPS, the Knysna CPF, All Sound, Men in Blue, the Garden Route District Municipality, Municipal Law Enforcement, traffic, fire and rescue services, disaster management, emergency medical services and other security stakeholders.

The municipality said the aim was to maintain public safety, protect infrastructure and minimise disruption. It added that a multi-stakeholder readiness meeting was due to confirm operational readiness, review contingency measures and ensure a coordinated response. A Joint Operations Centre was also activated for the duration of the planned protest action, giving officials a central command point to oversee deployments and coordinate emergency response.

The statement made clear that no application had been received in terms of the Regulation of Gatherings Act for a march within the municipal area, meaning any unauthorised march would be treated as illegal and dealt with by law enforcement in accordance with the law. The municipality also confirmed that it had engaged with local church leaders to help promote calm, support congregations and encourage peaceful and lawful conduct.

Knysna Executive Mayor Cllr Thando Matika said the municipality supported the constitutional right to peaceful protest, but warned that this right must be exercised responsibly and with respect for the safety and property of others. He said the safety of residents, businesses and visitors remained the municipality’s highest priority, and that the coordinated efforts of emergency and law enforcement partners were intended to keep communities safe and peaceful.

According to Michael Simon of Sedgefield’s Community Oriented Policing, having a coordinated plan in place made the critical difference. “If there hadn’t been an operational plan to work to, things would have been much, much worse in Sedgefield,” he said.

His comment reflected growing concern that the town might otherwise have seen a more serious breakdown in order.

The immediate trigger for the panic of the many Malawians, Zimbabweans and other foreign nationals was the high level of intimidation by groups of youths, most notably in Slange Park and Smutsville. At the time of going to press, no injuries to foreign nationals had been reported. Still, the threat itself was enough to create fear and movement, with juveniles armed with golf clubs reportedly chasing foreign nationals through the streets, and reports of their vacated homes being looted.

Public Order Policing units, or POPS, who were on standby in Knysna, were swiftly deployed to Sedgefield as soon as the trouble began. SAPS and Municipal Law Enforcement vehicles were sent not to arrest foreign nationals, but to transport them to places of safety, which in Sedgefield’s case was the Town Hall.

As the situation developed, more and more people sought refuge there, while reports of others choosing to go into hiding were widespread.

By early evening, the hall contained 219 people, with some presenting their immigration documents and others undocumented.

“Their absolute fear was obvious,” said Mario Ferreira of Gift of the Givers, who was there to assist. “It was noticeable that even the men and women who had valid papers were still only focused on how they could get back to their own countries.”

Whilst some of the foreigners had managed to bring belongings with them, others arrived with little more than the clothes they were wearing.

Support on the humanitarian side has been immediate. With coordination by councillors Cleone Vanston and Levael Davis, those in the hall were soon fed by Sedgefield Mobile Meals, the Lions and Gift of the Givers, with the latter also providing bedding and blankets. Local residents also dropped off food and other items to make the ‘refugees’ stay just a little more comfortable.

The larger backdrop to the local crisis is South Africa’s broader immigration debate, which has again been sharpened by the March and March movement. The national campaign has called for tougher action against undocumented foreign nationals, but its rhetoric has also drawn criticism for fuelling fear and resentment. In Sedgefield, many residents have pointed out that foreign nationals – particularly Malawians – have been part of the local community for many years, and that they should not be made to suffer because of a broken immigration system.

That sentiment has been reinforced by the difficult position in which the authorities now find themselves. The town has been trying to manage safety, help verify documents and maintain order while also responding to a humanitarian emergency. The Malawian Embassy has reportedly been overwhelmed to the point where it is offline and unreachable, adding another layer of difficulty to efforts to resolve the situation.

What began as a national protest action landed very close to home in Sedgefield, where, for the most part, the immediate concern is not politics, but the safety and dignity of people caught in the middle. It has to be said that violence, intimidation, threats and fear-mongering will never, ever be the solution to any of South Africa’s problems.

For now, the town remains on watch, with officials hoping the coordinated response will hold and that the situation will calm before it spreads further.