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South African government has moved to calm fears
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THE South African government has moved to calm fears of escalating unrest linked to anti-illegal immigration protests, insisting there will be no national shutdown on June 30 despite growing tensions surrounding calls for undocumented foreign nationals to leave the country.
The planned June 30 action, championed by the March and March movement, has sparked widespread debate over immigration, border security and law enforcement, prompting authorities to reaffirm that only the state has the mandate to enforce immigration laws.
Speaking during a recent post-Cabinet briefing, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni warned anti-illegal immigration activists against taking the law into their own hands and revealed that President Cyril Ramaphosa would soon address the nation on government's response to the migration challenge.
"Cabinet received and approved a comprehensive approach to managing migration in South Africa, developed by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration, and approved the National Action Plan (NAP), a country report on migration in South Africa," Ntshavheni said.
The announcement comes amid mounting political pressure over illegal immigration, with government agencies, businesses and neighbouring countries responding to rising public concern and sporadic anti-immigration protests.
At the centre of the debate is growing scrutiny of South Africa's porous borders and the methods used by undocumented migrants to enter the country.
The Border Management Authority (BMA) this week briefed a joint sitting of Parliament's Transport and Home Affairs Portfolio Committees, detailing cases involving suspected illegal crossings and transport networks allegedly facilitating undocumented migration.
BMA Assistant Commissioner Balene Mkhabela told lawmakers that two minibus taxis intercepted in Polokwane had exited South Africa through Beitbridge before returning without passengers and later transporting undocumented migrants.
"The buses passed through Beitbridge twice. The one bus exited South Africa for Zimbabwe. The second bus also left for Zimbabwe. The same buses came back following each other in the evening, still no one was in the buses," Mkhabela said.
According to interviews conducted with 54 undocumented migrants found in the vehicles, all reported crossing into South Africa by boat during the night.
"Based on interviews conducted with these individuals, all reported that they had been facilitated into the Republic of South Africa by means of a boat, with such illegal facilitation occurring during nighttime hours," he said.
Mkhabela said each person reportedly paid R100 to cross illegally, a detail he said was consistently repeated by those interviewed.
The BMA also highlighted broader challenges hampering border security, including inadequate infrastructure, limited surveillance capabilities and corruption among some border officials.
"There was also corruption by some border officials, a lack of sufficient resources to allow aerial surveillance and deterrence, and a lack of CCTV coverage at strategic points," Mkhabela said.
In response, the authority has intensified enforcement measures, including 24-hour roadblocks between the border and Baobab Plaza.
Political parties have meanwhile called for stronger internal enforcement mechanisms. Democratic Alliance MP Adrian Roos argued that migration control should not focus solely on border management.
"It is important when we deal with illegal migration that we consider internal enforcement," Roos said.
Lawmakers have also proposed the introduction of biometric tracking systems linked to the Department of Home Affairs to improve monitoring of foreign nationals residing in South Africa.
The migration debate is increasingly taking on a regional dimension. Nigeria has confirmed plans to repatriate more than 1,000 of its nationals from South Africa amid growing anti-immigrant sentiment.
"Total figure not out yet," Nigerian foreign ministry spokesman Kimiebi Ebienfa said. "We are expecting over a 1,000 persons."
Nigeria's High Commission in Pretoria said arrangements had been made to allow individuals facing immigration-related offences to leave voluntarily rather than face detention.
The move follows similar action by Ghana, which has already facilitated the return of hundreds of its citizens.
South Africa remains one of Africa's leading migration destinations, with official estimates indicating that more than three million foreign nationals live in the country.
At community level, however, the debate has fuelled anxiety and incidents of profiling.
A South African man identified as Mngadi said he felt compelled to produce his identity document after being questioned about his nationality at a taxi rank.
"I am a South African. This is my ID," he said, adding that he was increasingly concerned by assumptions being made about people's nationality in public spaces.
Labour federation leader Zwelinzima Vavi warned that such incidents reflected broader governance failures.
"If we had a functioning criminal justice system, these individuals attacking people in the streets would have long been arrested and charged with public violence and inciting hatred," Vavi said.
The South African Police Service in KwaZulu-Natal has urged the public to avoid sharing inflammatory messages online, warning that content promoting violence or destruction of property could result in criminal prosecution under cybercrime laws.
Business leaders have also expressed concern that escalating tensions could damage investor confidence and economic activity.
Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) and Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) called for calm and decisive leadership, saying public concerns about unemployment, crime and service delivery were understandable but should not translate into hostility towards foreign nationals.
"When individuals target foreign nationals, they directly harm South Africa's economic interests," the organisations said in a joint statement.
The South African Human Rights Commission echoed those concerns, warning against misinformation and vigilantism. The commission stressed that immigration enforcement remains the responsibility of the state and that violence or intimidation directed at foreign nationals cannot be justified.
Meanwhile, March and March leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma has insisted the movement is being misrepresented, maintaining that its campaign seeks the removal of undocumented foreign nationals through lawful means and does not advocate violence.
As June 30 approaches, authorities are attempting to balance public demands for stronger immigration enforcement with calls for social cohesion, amid concerns that heightened rhetoric could inflame tensions in communities across the country.
The planned June 30 action, championed by the March and March movement, has sparked widespread debate over immigration, border security and law enforcement, prompting authorities to reaffirm that only the state has the mandate to enforce immigration laws.
Speaking during a recent post-Cabinet briefing, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni warned anti-illegal immigration activists against taking the law into their own hands and revealed that President Cyril Ramaphosa would soon address the nation on government's response to the migration challenge.
"Cabinet received and approved a comprehensive approach to managing migration in South Africa, developed by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration, and approved the National Action Plan (NAP), a country report on migration in South Africa," Ntshavheni said.
The announcement comes amid mounting political pressure over illegal immigration, with government agencies, businesses and neighbouring countries responding to rising public concern and sporadic anti-immigration protests.
At the centre of the debate is growing scrutiny of South Africa's porous borders and the methods used by undocumented migrants to enter the country.
The Border Management Authority (BMA) this week briefed a joint sitting of Parliament's Transport and Home Affairs Portfolio Committees, detailing cases involving suspected illegal crossings and transport networks allegedly facilitating undocumented migration.
BMA Assistant Commissioner Balene Mkhabela told lawmakers that two minibus taxis intercepted in Polokwane had exited South Africa through Beitbridge before returning without passengers and later transporting undocumented migrants.
"The buses passed through Beitbridge twice. The one bus exited South Africa for Zimbabwe. The second bus also left for Zimbabwe. The same buses came back following each other in the evening, still no one was in the buses," Mkhabela said.
According to interviews conducted with 54 undocumented migrants found in the vehicles, all reported crossing into South Africa by boat during the night.
"Based on interviews conducted with these individuals, all reported that they had been facilitated into the Republic of South Africa by means of a boat, with such illegal facilitation occurring during nighttime hours," he said.
Mkhabela said each person reportedly paid R100 to cross illegally, a detail he said was consistently repeated by those interviewed.
The BMA also highlighted broader challenges hampering border security, including inadequate infrastructure, limited surveillance capabilities and corruption among some border officials.
"There was also corruption by some border officials, a lack of sufficient resources to allow aerial surveillance and deterrence, and a lack of CCTV coverage at strategic points," Mkhabela said.
In response, the authority has intensified enforcement measures, including 24-hour roadblocks between the border and Baobab Plaza.
Political parties have meanwhile called for stronger internal enforcement mechanisms. Democratic Alliance MP Adrian Roos argued that migration control should not focus solely on border management.
"It is important when we deal with illegal migration that we consider internal enforcement," Roos said.
Lawmakers have also proposed the introduction of biometric tracking systems linked to the Department of Home Affairs to improve monitoring of foreign nationals residing in South Africa.
The migration debate is increasingly taking on a regional dimension. Nigeria has confirmed plans to repatriate more than 1,000 of its nationals from South Africa amid growing anti-immigrant sentiment.
"Total figure not out yet," Nigerian foreign ministry spokesman Kimiebi Ebienfa said. "We are expecting over a 1,000 persons."
Nigeria's High Commission in Pretoria said arrangements had been made to allow individuals facing immigration-related offences to leave voluntarily rather than face detention.
The move follows similar action by Ghana, which has already facilitated the return of hundreds of its citizens.
South Africa remains one of Africa's leading migration destinations, with official estimates indicating that more than three million foreign nationals live in the country.
At community level, however, the debate has fuelled anxiety and incidents of profiling.
A South African man identified as Mngadi said he felt compelled to produce his identity document after being questioned about his nationality at a taxi rank.
"I am a South African. This is my ID," he said, adding that he was increasingly concerned by assumptions being made about people's nationality in public spaces.
Labour federation leader Zwelinzima Vavi warned that such incidents reflected broader governance failures.
"If we had a functioning criminal justice system, these individuals attacking people in the streets would have long been arrested and charged with public violence and inciting hatred," Vavi said.
The South African Police Service in KwaZulu-Natal has urged the public to avoid sharing inflammatory messages online, warning that content promoting violence or destruction of property could result in criminal prosecution under cybercrime laws.
Business leaders have also expressed concern that escalating tensions could damage investor confidence and economic activity.
Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) and Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) called for calm and decisive leadership, saying public concerns about unemployment, crime and service delivery were understandable but should not translate into hostility towards foreign nationals.
"When individuals target foreign nationals, they directly harm South Africa's economic interests," the organisations said in a joint statement.
The South African Human Rights Commission echoed those concerns, warning against misinformation and vigilantism. The commission stressed that immigration enforcement remains the responsibility of the state and that violence or intimidation directed at foreign nationals cannot be justified.
Meanwhile, March and March leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma has insisted the movement is being misrepresented, maintaining that its campaign seeks the removal of undocumented foreign nationals through lawful means and does not advocate violence.
As June 30 approaches, authorities are attempting to balance public demands for stronger immigration enforcement with calls for social cohesion, amid concerns that heightened rhetoric could inflame tensions in communities across the country.
Source - The Saturday Star
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