Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma Sidelined As Ramaphosa Meets Ngizwe Mchunu and Phakel'umthakathi
- President Cyril Ramaphosa held a last-minute meeting with anti-immigrant movement leaders Ngizwe Mchunu and Phakelumthakathi on June 29
- Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma of the March and March group was excluded from the meeting and said that she only found out about it through social media
- The snub sparked debate online, with fans reading the development as a sign of deepening division within the South African anti-immigrant movement
South African anti-immigrant activist Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma has been left out in the cold after President Cyril Ramaphosa sat down with two other movement leaders on June 29, 2026, a day before the widely anticipated June 30 protests calling for undocumented immigrants to self-deport.
Source: Facebook
Nkosikhona Ndabandaba, better known as Phakel'umthakathi of the Insizwa Ngobunsizwa movement, and Ngizwe Mchunu of the Amabhinca Nation movement, were the two figures who secured seats at the table.
Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya confirmed the engagement, noting that Ramaphosa called for a peaceful march that adhered to the law and order.
"The president emphasised to both of them that the right to protest is coupled with the responsibility to observe the law and to protest peacefully," he said.
Jacinta, the face of March and March, was conspicuously absent.
When asked about the meeting, she told reporters she had no prior knowledge of it and only became aware of it after seeing posts circulating on social media.
Jacinta distances herself from June 30
The exclusion takes on added weight given that Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma had already been publicly distancing herself from the June 30 deadline in the days leading up to the protests.
She made clear that the date was not her movement's creation and shifted blame to Phakel'umthakathi.
"The 30th of June, once again, it was a date that was announced by Phakel'umthakathi, right? He gave it as a cut-off date for all people who are in the country illegally to self-deport and go home.
"We didn't announce the 30th of June. We are now trying to just put the situation together so that there are no people running around acting crazy."
She added that once the date gathered momentum and became associated with March and March, the movement felt pressure to organise within it rather than stand apart from it.
The Twitter post of Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma speaking about being sidelined from the presidential meeting with anti-immigrant leaders is below.
Fan reactions to Jacinta's Ramaphosa meeting snub
The disclosure drew strong opinions on social media, with many reading the situation as a calculated political move.
@AfterEarth wrote:
"But we all heard her say Phakela and Ngizwe have their own thing on that interview with a Nigerian journalist."
@Fisaso_01 said:
"They double-crossed her !!! I admire the honesty !!! I believe her !!! They should be ashamed of themselves 🤞"
@khanyeza commented:
"She is the threat amongst the 3, the president is trying to sideline her and manipulate the other two, a divide and conquer strategy. He knew she was going to ask critical questions that he had no answers to."
@Velile_S added:
"It is weird that the president decides to meet with Ngizwe and Phakelumthakathi, who are not March and March members 🤔🤔"
@Collen077 wrote:
"She couldn't be aware of those guys' meeting with the President because she likes being on Twitter streets tweeting nonsense."
@Nomfamkhize concluded:
"I'm abit sadden by this! These political guys are very slick and strategic. I hope Ngizwe and Phakelumthakathi are not going to fall for any division. The mere fact that they couldn't even communicate with Jacinta on such a very high-level engagement is concerning."
The TikTok video of Jacinta distancing March and March from the formulation of the June 30 protest date is below.
Source: Facebook
Police warns Jacinta and protestors against violence
Previously, YEN.com.gh reported that the South African government had warned Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma and anti-immigrant protestors ahead of the June 30 protests.
The country's Acting Police Minister stated that the natural right to protest was not carte blanche for individuals to engage in violence, looting, or other illegal activities.
Proofreading by Bruce Douglas, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
