‘Ticking time bomb’: ANC blamed for illegal immigrants crisis in SA
· Citizen
Undocumented migrants are a ticking time bomb for the government with fingers pointing at the ANC, which allowed it to happen and continues to neglect it, according to experts and politicians.
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This emerged as a loose civil movement gained momentum to address the problem after decades of a laissez-faire approach by the then ANC-led government, which dismissed the population’s reactions as mere xenophobia.
Unrest and tensions
Violent protests erupted in KuGompo, Eastern Cape, after the unauthorised coronation of a Nigerian traditional leader without the AmaRharhabe kingdom’s consent.
It sparked nationwide outrage, with traditional leaders joining demonstrations. More anti-illegal migrant marches are planned.
Political analyst Lesiba Teffo says this is a time-bomb “and it has been like that for quite some time. It just wants a little trigger – one spark to set the whole country aflame”.
Security concerns and growing fears
He expressed concern that many migrants, instead of living peacefully with locals, allegedly arm themselves to resist any attempt to remove them.
Teffo cited Somalis involved in a shoot-out with local taxi operators in Gqeberha in October 2021, and the recent arrest of an Ethiopian national found with a rocket launcher in Johannesburg.
Buhle Ndoda, researcher, academic and cofounder of GiveHope Foundation, said: “Undocumented migrants are people who have entered or stayed in SA without proper legal documentation, which is against the law.
“This should not be confused with asylum seekers, who may have legal protection under international law but are often treated as part of the same conversation.”
Pressure on services and communities
A continuous influx of undocumented people creates what researchers call a “surplus population”, which means groups of people the state is not aware of and cannot provide resources to, Ndoda said.
This puts pressure on jobs, social services and opportunities and it affects locals directly.
“To understand the real effects, we need to listen to the experiences of people at grassroots level. How are communities feeling the pressure? Where do they see gaps in services and support?
“Listening to these voices helps us understand the challenge clearly and keeps the conversation rooted in reality, instead of political rhetoric,” Ndoda said.
Teffo said the SA situation is precarious, where the migrants have the upper hand over locals.
In places like Johannesburg and Pretoria, foreigners had declared some “no-go” areas for locals because they regard those as their territory.
He also blamed the “so-called human rights organisations” for fighting to allow illegal migrants to stay in SA.
“They say the constitution states that the land belongs to all of us who live on it. That phrase has come back to haunt us and they use it successfully in court.”
Political criticism and calls for action
Teffo criticised President Cyril Ramaphosa for staying mum on the issue of illegal immigrants, claiming his silence lends legitimacy to the problem.
“Instead of condemning the actions of illegal foreigners, especially when they commit crimes, our president prefers to condemn the natives when they voice their concerns.
“Unlike other countries that apply the Geneva Convention dictates, South Africa is too romantic and idealistic on migration. It was too excited by the euphoria of independence; it let everybody into the country,” Teffo said.
African Transformation Movement MP Vuyolweth Zungula said people felt like taking the law into their own hands because the government had failed to do its job to manage migration.
He described the situation as “a ticking time bomb that could get out of hand”.
“When citizens correctly raise issues pertaining to immigrants and lawlessness, it is very easy for the government to call it xenophobia to silence the citizens. If you are labelling people as xenophobic for raising genuine concerns, it means you, as the government, are not listening to those people and you are misdiagnosing the problem,” Zungula said.