During a June 7 address, President Cyril Ramaphosa responded to ongoing protests, such as the All Truck Drivers Forum (ATDF) March for March movement, which is calling for broader control to address the influx of foreign nationals.

In his address, Ramaphosa said: “Over recent months, South Africans from every walk of life have raised concerns about migration and illegal immigration.

“These concerns are being expressed in our communities, workplaces, schools, clinics and across social media platforms.

“Many South Africans are asking difficult but legitimate questions: Are our borders secure?”

According to an EMPD report, 14 undocumented foreign nationals were arrested by the department’s Bronberg Precinct, Eastern Region Task Team and Tracing units in Tsakane, Etwatwa and Benoni on June 5.

Despite the government’s plan to address illegal immigration, ATDF members voiced their dissatisfaction with leadership’s reluctance to definitively address what they describe as an assault on South African citizens’ freedom.

Protest hits Actonville

Gathered outside the Actonville Hostels in Singh Street, which is notorious for criminal activities, including contravention of the Immigration Act, on June 8, march organiser Bongani Mthethwa said peaceful mass protests will continue until tangible solutions are put into action.

“For more than three decades, the government has promised us a better future,” he said.

“Our cities have turned into slums. Our children cannot get space at schools of our choice, and unemployment threatens to derail our youths’ future; these are all as a result of immigration, both legal and illegal.”

He said that criminality, including the flourishing drug trade, can be attributed to illegal foreigners expanding their business throughout the country.

“We will only believe Ramaphosa when he openly and without remorse tells these foreigners to go back to where they come from,” said Mthethwa.

“It is time for the leadership to put its citizens first, instead of trying to be friends with foreign counterparts.

Prioritise South Africans

Dressed in his trademark traditional Zulu outfit, Nkosikhona Ndabandaba said that for the past 18 months, ATDF marches have flowed through the streets of numerous cities, in the form of peaceful protests but with a powerful message: “It’s time for foreigners to leave.”

“It is not about xenophobia or racism; the citizens of this country, the men and women who form part of the tapestry of the rainbow nation, once and for all demand that our needs and rights are prioritised,” he said.

“We need to repair the damage that has been done to our beautiful country, to our benefit, not to the benefit of foreign nationals.”

Holding a poster that read, “Ons is gatvol! If you are killing our youth, you are destroying a nation,” a concerned Wattville mother, who wished to remain anonymous, alleged that illegal substances peddled by foreign nationals are manufactured to kill the youth.

“We see their packaging and see them selling it to our kids,” she said.

“They are killing our children without a second thought. We don’t want to hear speeches; we want to see these people being marched across the borders.”

Firm approach

In response to the president’s address, community activist Farouke Araie of Mackenzie Park wrote:

The president’s speech warrants a firm and balanced response.

The issue of illegal immigration and the country’s border management is a source of immense frustration.

The heartbreaking scenes of community tensions are very real.

Many view the president’s belated intervention as alarmingly hollow, detached from the severity of the threat and the mounting threat to social stability.

The challenge of illegal immigration demands a response that is both firm and principled, balancing the rule of law with respect for human dignity.

An immediate approach requires strengthening border controls and confronting corruption that undermines law enforcement efforts.

As we enforce our laws, we must display due process and compassion.

Deterrence without humanity risks injustice; compassion without control risks disorder.

The law must be clear, consistent and applied without fear or favour.

Borders must be managed with discipline, not neglected through complacency.

There is undeniable evidence that our porous borders are exploited by highly organised criminal networks that have enveloped our geographical landscape.

The call for urgency and humanity captures the exact tightrope our rainbow nation is walking.

True urgency requires the state to efficiently regulate who enters and leaves the country.

Illegal immigration must be tackled whilst upholding the spirit of Ubuntu

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