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SAPS officers outside Addington Primary School in Durban.
Clashes have erupted between foreign nationals, members of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) as well as lobby group March and March outside the Addington primary school in Durban.
The MKP and March and March are protesting against the admission of children of foreign nationals at the school.
The protests started when schools re-opened on Wednesday.
The protesters claim that the school failed to place more than 50 South African children because children of foreign nationals have taken spaces.
Police had to step in to separate the groups.
March and March founder Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma says they have been fighting this since July urging the Department of Education to prioritise South Africans over foreigners.
“Way before July or June we’ve been saying prioritise South African children. They’ve been coming here, they’ve got proof of the forms and everything. I’m saying as a principal of a school or the Department of Education how do you decide to allocate this spot to a Nigerian or a Congolese or Ethiopian over a South African who submitted the documents at the same time.”
WATCH | SABC News reporter Jayed Paulse is at Addington Primary School in Durban amid tensions, speaking to parents over clashes related to school admissions. pic.twitter.com/4a8et2LQab
— SABC News (@SABCNews) January 16, 2026
Foreign nationals whose children enrolled at the school say they have been receiving threats since the impasse started. They’ve denied allegations that that their children are exempted from paying school fees.
One parent who wants to remain anonymous produced an invoice for paid school fees. The parent says admissions to the school reflect the demographics of the feeder area.
KwaZulu-Natal Education Department spokesperson – Muzi Mahlambi – says any parents who are still struggling with school admissions must go to the department’s district or circuit offices.
“We still are directing any people who are still struggling to have their learners placed to our offices – be it an issue of a school in KwaMakhutha, in Manguzi, in Addington Primary, any other school that is affected in the province – we are directing everyone to our district offices, or circuit offices. They will be assisted.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPTdR9PwHMU
