Prominent influencers who previously fronted anti‑illegal immigration protests led the Black Business Federation (BBF) march in Durban Central on Thursday, joined by the North Coast Workers Forum and other affiliated organisations, as the coalition rallied against the Hulett closing saga.
The saga began in early 2026 when sugar producer Tongaat Hulett faced provisional liquidation in the Durban High Court after years of mounting debt and unpaid levies threatened more than 250,000 jobs across KwaZulu‑Natal’s sugar belt.
Business Rescue Practitioners filed for liquidation when funding talks between the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and Vision Group broke down. A dramatic turnaround came in June, however, when the court allowed the withdrawal of the application following a binding rescue deal between IDC and Vision Group. While the intervention saved the company from collapse, the episode exposed the fragility of South Africa’s sugar industry and left communities wary of its future.
Former Ukhozi FM presenter, cultural leader, social media personality and anti‑illegal immigration activist Ngizwe Mchunu, who was among those at the forefront of the march, said that as head of the subcultural group of the Zulu Kingdom known as The Bhinca Nation, he has long been involved in tackling unemployment by visiting firms and industries on a rotational basis and engaging in what he calls “interconnective dialogues.” He described these efforts as successful, adding that even in the case of the Hulett closing saga, they could not simply remain silent but had to demonstrate concern as part of the alliances present.
Similarly, a member of North Coast Workers’ Forum in King Cetshwayo District and one of the leaders, S’khumbuzo Gwala, told Siya Mlambo Worldwide that sustaining families, paying for the education of South African children, and supporting small‑scale sugarcane farmers in rural areas remain central priorities. He announced the possibility of continued mobilisation, which may even involve graduates, to raise awareness and stay ahead of issues such as youth unemployment.
Gwala noted that they had come in numbers from King Cetshwayo District, travelling in nine buses under the banner of the North Coast Workers’ Forum and Professional and Labour Civil Organisation of South Africa (PLACOSA), to align themselves with the BBF’s objectives for the march as affiliates.
Mchunu also highlighted the role of Chief Malusi Zondi, Zulu Royal Chancellor and president of the Black Business Federation, as the organiser of the march. He said Chief Zondi had poured “sweat and blood” into efforts to find resolutions to the Hulett saga, even attempting to bring in investors — though these efforts did not bear fruit. The presence of Zondi’s royal descendants, alongside other chiefs and delegates from royal houses, underscored that the march was effectively a whistle blown by Chief Zondi himself.
In the memorandum handed over to the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), organisers stated that they expect at least a clear response or indication of the way forward within fourteen days.
