Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za

17 October 2026

2-minute read

Recent violence and unrest in eThekwini, driven by political clashes and anti-migrant tensions, have spiked ahead of the upcoming local government elections.

Speaking to Ml Ravat, Roshan Jainath from The Natal Indian Congress Legacy Foundation, NICLEF, said that while their organization is a “fairly new” entity stemming from the historical Natal Indian Congress, it has been in the making for the past 3 years. Its roots are embedded in the freedom movement created by Mahatma Gandhi; however, they are not a political organization standing for elections. The foundation plans to deal with current issues and align the congress values with the constitution of South Africa.

NICLEF strongly condemned the ongoing xenophobic violence unfolding in KZN, particularly in eThekwini. Roshan stated additionally that the Foundation will focus on the political issues in the country and the breakdown of ties with the US. “The struggle for freedom and the struggle for eradication of poverty is not over,” he stated, citing the “vacuum of leadership” that the country currently finds themselves in.

Speaking on March and March; Roshan said that is clear that the group led by Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma “and her group of bandits” is fully funded and not aligned to the constitution. He cited the human rights violations like assault, beatings and even the killing of two individuals, that have arisen from the organization.

Furthermore, it appears that March and March have taken over the role of the police, who are passive and no longer “intelligence driven.” Are the police scared or complicit? asked Ml Ravat. Roshan responded that the anti-immigrant rhetoric is causing “deep resonance among people that it is problematic to have foreigners competing for jobs and businesses in townships.” While many citizens of South Africa are victims of poverty, and many are suffering, it cannot all be blamed on illegal immigration. The police and Home Affairs have an important role to play in addressing the problems of foreigners flooding in, but few of them are doing their job and defending and upholding the constitution. Local people are “being manipulated to attack the constitution.”

Roshan advocated for dealing with the issues of immigration and the current destabilisation in a constitutional manner, referring to the Congress’s values of non-violence and “force of truth” through intervention and leadership.

Listen to the full interview with Ml Sulaimaan Ravat and Roshan Jainath here.