'Flush out illegal Zimbabwean immigrants' children from our schools'

South African opposition leader Herman Mashaba has sharply criticized his government's decision to permit children of undocumented foreigners, including Zimbabweans, to enroll in public schools for the 2025 academic year.

The directive, issued by South Africa's Department of Basic Education (DBE), instructed schools to admit all learners regardless of their documentation status. This includes students unable to provide identification for matriculation exams and undocumented foreign pupils.

A significant portion of these children are Zimbabweans, often trafficked across the border to join parents working illegally in South Africa.

Mashaba, who leads ActionSA, lambasted the decision during an interview on the national broadcaster SABC. He argued that allowing undocumented learners to benefit from South Africa's strained educational resources worsens the country's economic and social challenges.

"We live in a country where a huge percentage of our public schools, particularly in poor areas, are dilapidated, where we do not have teachers, and where our education system is dire," Mashaba said.

He warned that the policy could encourage more undocumented individuals to exploit South Africa's services.

"South Africa now seems to be a country where you do not need passports or visas; they just have to walk through our porous borders. Our sovereignty is not there anymore," he said.

Mashaba's remarks come amid ongoing tensions over immigration in South Africa, where Zimbabweans and other foreign nationals - Mozambicans, Malawians, and Somalis - often face xenophobic attacks. Groups like the Dudula movement have led violent campaigns to chase immigrants out of the country.

The undocumented Zimbabweans in question are frequently economic refugees, fleeing their homeland's collapsing economy and risking dangerous border crossings, such as wading through the crocodile-infested Limpopo River.

Mashaba accused the government of failing to prioritize South Africans, citing overcrowded classrooms and insufficient resources in public schools.

"I do not understand the logic behind this," he said. "The people who made this decision want to make sure that South Africans are as poor as possible. If I had my way, there was no way we would allow anyone without documentation in our country."

He added, "Allowing them to use services when we cannot afford them for our own people does not make sense. You even find in some schools children numbering 90 in a class."

This debate over the use of South Africa's public resources by undocumented immigrants is not new. In 2022, Limpopo health official Dr. Phophi Ramathuba made headlines after a video emerged of her scolding a Zimbabwean patient who sought medical attention in South Africa following a car accident.

"You are killing my health system," Ramathuba told the patient, sparking widespread debate about the strain on public services caused by undocumented immigrants.

As South Africa grapples with socio-economic challenges, the directive has reignited discussions about border control, resource allocation, and the country's obligations to undocumented migrants.