KZN government condemns anti-migrant violence at Durban’s Addington Primary

Multiple pupils were absent from school on 22 January 2026, due to safety concerns at Durban’s Addington Primary School after a violent protest over placements on Wednesday, 21 January 2026. This resulted in the deployment of a large police contingent to the school.

Anti-migrant groups March and March and Operation Dudula, flanked by people dressed in uMkhonto WeSizwe party regalia, descended on the school, claiming that the school was prioritising placements for migrant learners, leaving South African children without spaces. The organisations are calling on school management to prioritise South African learners over immigrants.

The organisation’s chief claim was that 90% of the learners who attended Addington Primary were the children of migrants, a claim that spokesperson for the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Department of Education, Mlu Mtshali, categorically refuted.

“These organisations are spreading misinformation to mobilise support for their ends. This has put a lot of people’s lives at risk. It is a lie that 90% of learners are children of immigrants. The truth is that immigrants form 37% of the learner population. An even more dangerous lie is that the school principal goes out of his way to recruit children of immigrants. The truth is that the learner ratio is a reflection of the demographics in the area. These are people who live, work and trade among each other, but they want the school to be where the line is drawn,” Mtshali said.

According to figures presented by the department, Addington Primary has a total enrolment of 1, 548 pupils, of whom 968 are South African citizens. Of the 548 foreign national pupils, officials said only 12 were undocumented, with the remainder holding valid documentation.

“What is happening at Addington is a shame. This organisation is using education as a red herring to fight issues of immigration. First of all, there is no crisis of placement in KwaZulu-Natal. We were able to place all learners who were on the waiting list in the area. We must applaud the District Team and the schools in the area for working diligently to that end,” Mtshali said.

When asked if it was possible to replace migrant children with South African children, Mtshali said that it would be illegal for the school to take any action in contravention of the Constitution or the Schools Act.

“That is why we are reminding the political parties that if they are the lawmakers, the only way to change legislation is through an act of Parliament, and the schools will implement the law. This issue belongs in Parliament, and they should stop marching to schools,” said Mtshali.

Impact

Mamelo Mokoena* 33, has an eight-year-old child who is in Grade 2 at Addington Primary School. She told the Daily Maverick that she went to the school with her husband to fetch their child after being informed that the protest was escalating, prompting the school to advise parents to collect their children.

“When we got there, I stayed in the car with my four-month-old baby to avoid anything happening. My husband went to fetch my kid. The part that made me emotional was when I saw the teargas. I freaked out and was thinking about the children who don’t even know what is happening,” Mokoena said.

Mokoena is a Motswana woman from North West who is married to a Nigerian man. She says that because she is not fluent in IsiZulu and has her husband’s surname, she has been on the receiving end of discrimination.

“Even though my children are part of me, they are still not safe, even me, when I present my ID, people ask where I’m from, and because my home language is Tswana and Afrikaans, they think I am foreign,” she said.

Mokoena says this incident felt like a repeat of when she was denied access to a clinic by March and March and Operation Dudula in mid-2025. She said that even though she provided her ID during the healthcare disruptions, they would not let her in. She recalled having to fight her way in.

“Before this incident at the school, when I was pregnant with my son last year, I had to fight to go into a clinic while pregnant. They refused to let me in every day, thinking I was a foreigner. I ended up getting high blood pressure and had to be rushed to Addington Hospital,” Mokoena said.

“So this is my personal experience, and I am South African, and my child has never experienced anything like this before, things like that, we usually see on TV, in other countries. The kids keep on asking us questions, and how do you explain that your mother’s people are fighting with your father’s people?” Mokoena said.

A Nigerian man who lives near Addington Primary School said he was assaulted by five men during Wednesday’s protest. Although he wouldn’t allow Daily Maverick to take photos, he had bruising on his rib cage and chest, injuries sustained after a beating with the handle end of a knobkerrie. His phone’s screen was cracked during the altercation.

“Yesterday was really bad. Five of the guys protesting came and spoke to me in isiZulu. I answered as best as I could, but the next thing they were striking me across the face with slaps and the stick part of the stick with a ball at the end. I was glad they didn’t use the ball part because it would have done more damage,” he said

He said he had lived in South Africa for 24 years and had always used the appropriate channels for school. His daughter is eight years old.

“I was worried when I heard about the protest, but I didn’t understand, because we applied as early as February in that school and we [paid] school fees by November last year to have a place this year. At the protest yesterday, I didn’t see a parent who came with a child that didn’t get placed there (sic),” he said.

“Every school always accepts the children who stay closest to that place. I hope the government will help resolve this so our children are safe.”

March and March had not responded to a Daily Maverick query by the time of publication. DM