ActionSA leader and Johannesburg mayoral candidate Herman Mashaba has made it clear that his party will not compromise when it comes to dealing with illegal immigration.

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Speaking during a tour of Ward 91 in Wynberg, Mashaba said undocumented foreign nationals cannot be accommodated while South Africa faces unemployment and overcrowding. “I cannot understand how anyone can expect us as a country to accommodate illegal foreigners when we have 42% of our people unemployed. We have our people living under these conditions. This is totally unacceptable,” he stated.

He emphasised that deportation of undocumented immigrants features as one of the party’s main priorities, adding that they intend to work with South African Police Service and Home Affairs to tackle illegal immigration. “We do not believe in undocumented people coming into our country illegally. We have been unapologetic and open about it and it is the last thing that we would allow.”

Mashaba is not the only mayoral candidate to adopt a firm stance against illegal immigration. Recently, the Democratic Alliance’s federal chairperson, Helen Zille, who has also thrown her hat in the race for the city’s top position, has expressed similar views, stressing that undocumented immigrants in the city should be deported.

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In Alexandra, the issue of illegal immigration has been closely linked to the housing shortages, with many arguing that some of the houses meant for South Africans are occupied by foreign nationals who do not have proper documents. In addressing the housing issues, Mashaba announced that he would revive the inner–city rejuvenation project he first launched in 2017, which involves expropriating derelict factories and abandoned buildings, many of which owe the city significant debts, and handing them to the private sector for redevelopment.

The initiative, he explained, would deliver affordable housing, create jobs, and stimulate Johannesburg’s economy. “We want to expropriate them and give them to the private sector to build massive affordable accommodation for the people of Alexandra,” Mashaba said, adding that the process would be rolled out gradually to ensure fairness and sustainability.

During his tour, Mashaba visited parts of Ward 91 in Wynberg. It was a meet–and–greet campaign that saw him engage with residents of the ward, including the father of Alexandra, Linda Twala.

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