The June 30 “deadline” set by activists for undocumented foreigners to leave South Africa has passed, but the country’s migration challenges are far from resolved.
According to Wits University migration expert Prof Loren Landau, South Africa should now focus on helping people displaced by the unrest, holding accountable those responsible for violence in the run-up to the event and addressing the country’s deeper economic and governance problems. The government repeatedly said the ultimatum had no legal standing and warned against vigilantism.
“There are still a lot of people displaced, stuck at the border, stuck in these centres in Durban, people whose property has been looted or destroyed, and they need an immediate humanitarian response,” Landau told TimesLIVE.
Although widespread violence feared on June 30 did not materialise in many areas, Landau said the damage had already been done in the weeks before. “A lot of lives were disrupted.”
Landau, who is the South African Research Chair in Mobility and the Politics of Difference at the African Centre for Migration and Society at Wits, said public anger over unemployment and poor service delivery has been wrongly directed at migrants instead of the structural problems facing the country.
“They’re only 3-5% of the population. So most of what’s putting a strain on services, on jobs, on housing, are South Africans,” he said.
“The problem is not the number of people, it’s the lack of planning and investment.”
Using Gauteng as an example, Landau said the province’s population has grown rapidly over the past two decades, but the majority of that growth has come from South Africans moving from other provinces rather than foreigners.
“What we’re talking about is millions more people over the last 20 years accessing services in Gauteng. But most of those are South Africans. The government does not plan for that population growth. We’re left struggling and fighting for resources that are not even enough for South Africans. It’s not because of immigration, it’s because of [the] migration of citizens and poor planning from the government.”
Landau also challenged the perception that migrants are a burden on the economy, arguing that they play an important role in creating jobs and supporting regional trade.
He pointed to trading networks around Johannesburg’s Jeppe Street, where Somali and Ethiopian traders operate businesses linked to neighbouring countries.
“The trade and regional networks also support the economy, not just in South Africa, but in Zimbabwe, Mozambique and elsewhere, which creates a more stable, prosperous region. Those places are buying most of their goods from South Africa. If you have a poor Zimbabwe, you have a poor Mozambique, you have a poor Swaziland or Lesotho, that makes South Africa poorer.”
He also referred to World Bank research that suggests migrant workers contribute to employment rather than reduce opportunities for locals. “All of the data suggests that migrants are creating jobs for South Africans, not taking them away.”
On concerns that migrants place additional pressure on public services, Landau said everyone living in South Africa uses public resources and contributes to the economy.
“Every person puts a burden on the state and on services. You and I use water, electricity, [and] housing. That’s how the world works, but we also contribute. Every immigrant in South Africa pays as much as every South African in South Africa,” he said.
Landau warned that unless South Africa addresses unemployment and creates meaningful opportunities for young people, public frustration will continue to grow.
“If you look at places where there are really no economic prospects, even if you get educated, you might have a matric, you might have a diploma or a degree, and then what? That has nothing to do with immigration. That has to do with the economic systems that we have, the lack of mentorship schemes, [and] the lack of apprenticeship schemes.”
He said government and business should focus on creating jobs, supporting entrepreneurship and ensuring young South Africans have opportunities to participate in the economy.
“The government is lucky. This time everyone is trying to attack immigrants. Next time, they’re going to come to the government.”
As immediate steps, Landau said authorities should strengthen workplace inspections by targeting employers who exploit undocumented workers rather than migrants themselves.
He also called for improved border security, a crackdown on corruption within the department of home affairs, and most importantly, a longer-term national conversation about migration and development that moves beyond fear.
“We need to find ways of moving past this sphere to recognise, in policy, the way in which migration is and has for generations contributed to South Africa’s wealth and prosperity,” he said.
TimesLIVE
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