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ActionSA has defended the anti-illegal immigration protests taking place across the country, emphasising that communities had been left with no choice but to demand action to fix their country.
This comes after criticism from various stakeholders arose as the anti-immigration protests intensified in recent weeks and spread across the country.
ActionSA mayoral candidate for Johannesburg Herman Mashaba, along with Tshwane mayor Nasiphi Moya and anti-immigrant activist Zandile Dabula, made the remarks during the party’s campaign trail in Alexandra on Thursday.
Mashaba said frustration over crime, unemployment and poor service delivery had fuelled public anger over illegal immigration.
The government has acknowledged concerns about illegal immigration, but has warned against vigilantism and unlawful action against foreign nationals.
Mashaba said South Africans’ concerns should not be dismissed or labelled as xenophobia. “Anyone who undermines the cries of South Africans around being victims of illegal foreigners is totally unacceptable.”
Mashaba argued that communities, particularly in townships, are bearing the brunt of crime and economic hardship while the government fails to address illegal immigration.
He called on President Cyril Ramaphosa and the government of national unity to take stronger action against undocumented foreign nationals. “There is a genuine cry out there. We’re asking government to bring leadership.”
Mashaba said ActionSA would continue pushing for stricter immigration controls and the deportation of people who were in the country illegally.
Moya said the growing protests were a sign that many South Africans felt ignored. “In the absence of leadership, people will take it upon themselves. That’s why you see protests every day in this country.”
She argued that illegal immigration placed pressure on housing, jobs and municipal resources. “We’re not going to be blackmailed into believing that we are xenophobic when all we are asking for is that our laws must be respected.”
Moya added that the City of Tshwane worked with home affairs and law enforcement agencies to identify undocumented foreign nationals and hand them over to authorities.
However, she questioned why some people arrested for immigration-related offences were allegedly released back into communities.
According to Dabula, concerns of illegal immigration have been raised for years, to the point now that it had now become a national crisis.
“When we started talking about this issue five or six years ago, people thought we were xenophobic. But the reality is hitting now that actually this is a national crisis and something needs to be done,” she said.
The debate around illegal immigration has intensified in recent months, with protest groups such as the March and March demanding stricter enforcement of immigration laws and calling on government to act before a self-imposed June 30 deadline.
Police and government officials have repeatedly stressed that only the state has the authority to enforce immigration laws and deport undocumented migrants.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has acknowledged that undocumented migration places pressure on public services and jobs, while also condemning violence and xenophobia directed at foreign nationals.
ActionSA said their target was not foreign nationals, but to ensure that South Africa’s immigration laws were applied fairly and consistently, and lthat the laws be followed.
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